Red
by Little Lightning Bug
Summary: Meet Brielle Chasky, a normal, average girl...except for one glaring exception. She's a scientist at a technology company, and being held against her will. When she gets rescued, it's hard to trust these "Earth's Mightiest Heroes." Especially when you're living with them. But what happens she jeopardizes everything they've worked for?
1. Foreword

Hey, Readers! Welcome to my story, Red. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.

Please let me know if my story has major spellcheck issues or any problems. I have a illness in which symptoms are brain fog and short term memory loss, so some days it is incredibly hard to write.

If you enjoy reading my story, drop me a review! They are usually the highlight of my day whenever I get one. :)

Without further ado,

Red

-FireflyUpintheSky

(P.S. The cover photo credit goes to some anonymous genius(es) out there. Thank you for the wonderful picture! The collage is mine though.)

(P.P.S. There is a polyvore with the outfits from each chapter. Go to and type in the search bar remib88 -that's my username. It's got all kinds of outfits for my characters! Enjoy!)

(P.P.P.S. I'm just going to say it right here to cover all the chapters: **_I do not own the Avengers. Sadly. It's quite unfortunate._** )


	2. Beginning

Her lips were cracked and dry as she struggled to gasp another breath. So much work, so much effort, time, and talent had been put into avoiding this. And now it was foiled so easily. It was infuriating. The man looked at her with a cold smile, not reaching his eyes. The white lab coat he always wore blended in with the sterile light bathing the room.

"Let's begin, shall we?" he asked in his silky voice. She glared at him, refusing to offer any information. He grinned a snake's smile at her resilience. "What a feisty little kitten. Now, this won't hurt a bit. I promise you that. It'll take a few minutes to kick in, but I assure you, darling, you won't realize what's going on after that." She bit her lip, determined not to show the fear gathering in the pit of her stomach. He had already explained the process to her. The machine she was hooked up to took her back to mentally relieve her memories. It would be like living them all over again, every long, painful, exhilarating, and happy moment. All her memories would be his. She assumed they would start on the day the whole ordeal began. Her mind became fuzzy around the edges. She gripped the edge of my table or whatever they had me strapped to. No. she would be stronger than this…this drug, this machine. She glanced around helplessly. Where were the others? Had they figured out what was going on? _Please don't come for me_ , she mentally begged. It would be safer. Her vision fizzed out and came back in. "Brielle. Fighting it will just prolong the inevitable." A tingling feeling shot up her spine as she closed her eyes.

Months) Earlier

A familiar jingle of "Walking On Sunshine" blasted through the class. Everyone turned in his or her seats to look at her. Bree grimaced apologetically to the teacher and turned the ringer off of the phone, glancing down at the culprit.

 _Got a smoothie with your name on it. Literally. ;)_

Attached to the text was a picture of a smoothie from her favorite smoothie bar with her name written on the side of the cup. She smiled happily and glanced at the clock. Only two more minutes of history. She could totally do this without falling asleep again. The phone vibrated again silently and she peered over the edge of her desk to glance into the backpack.

 _Meet me at my locker?_

Ugh. If only they were allowed to text in school. Of course she had to get stuck with the uptight teachers while Colin (her boyfriend) got all the good ones. She fiddled with the drawstrings of her hoodie while waiting for the bell. As soon as it rang, she shot out of class. The pencil flew out of her hand as she raced down the hall, with quite a few whispers and good-natured laughter behind her. She smacked straight into a blur of grey and black.

"Oh!" she gasped, stepping backwards. The man she had run into raised an eyebrow. "I-I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean to," she quickly babbled. He adopted an amused expression on his face.

"Not a worry," he said, straightening his blue tie. It was a rather odd sight. Not even the principal wore a suit to school. "Here you go." Handing her a book she had dropped, she sheepishly took it back. "Have a good day, miss. And watch your step," he said, chuckling. As soon as she walked away, she heard a slow clapping from behind.

"Nice job there, Smalls," a familiar voice said with a chuckle. She joined in the laughter, turning around to face her boyfriend. She briefly contemplating hitting him (like she always did) for calling her Smalls (again), but he had a smoothie in his hand. Food before anything else.

"Thanks. Totally meant to do that, ya know?" He handed my smoothie and she eyed it with desire, closing her eyes to take a sip. "Mmh," she nodded. "Lime Blueberry," she said defiantly. Colin shook his head.

"I'm never going to stump you, am I, Smalls?" Brielle shook my head, swallowing another gulp of smoothie. This time, she did swat his shoulder. As she was only 4'11, Colin towered over her at 5'9.

"Nope," she said with a smirk. Colin caught a piece of her frizzy red hair that had escaped her ponytail and tucked it back under her hood.

"You should wear your hair down sometimes. I don't think you've ever-" A screeching from the loudspeaker stopped him as they all covered our ears. While they went to a pretty prestigious school, the basic technology was way outdated. They had top-notch computers and the most advanced science labs in the region, but the school couldn't be bothered to change the small stuff.

"Brielle Chasky, please report to the office, Brielle Chasky, please report to the office. Thank you." There was static as the speaker clicked off. Her classmates all looked at her suspiciously, including Colin. She made a face.

"I have no clue what I did," she said nervously. It was silly. Bree knew she hadn't done anything, but there's always that fear of the office and getting in trouble. She tightened the straps on her bag and started down the hall with a wave goodbye to Colin. The door swung open as a girl a few grades older than her walked out with mascara dribbling down her face. Brielle looked at her with wide eyes. "Whelp. Good thing I didn't wear make up," she muttered. The lady at the reception desk took one look at her and pointed to an office. She hesitantly cracked the door open, peering inside.

"Miss Brielle, how wonderful of you to join us," the principle said from across the room. "We have some very important news to share with you." She froze and looked at the others in the room. There was a woman with long blonde hair in a pencil skirt and glasses in a chair next to the principal who stood when she had entered. The lady reached out her hand and Briella tentatively took it, inching her way into the room.

"Caroline Walters, pleasure to meet you," she said in a clipped, controlled tone. No smile needed, she could tell this woman meant business. It made her even more nervous.

"Ah, so you're the Brielle I've heard about," said a male voice from the corner. She jumped then smiled, recognizing it as the man she had ran into earlier. Brielle nodded in recognition and sat in the chair across from the three of them. "I'm Justin Walters, at your service." He did a mock bow and she relaxed, smiling once again at him. She liked him already. The principal leaned in.

"Bree, what we're about to tell you is top secret. We need you to sign a few forms before we continue." He handed her some papers and a pen. She scanned them over, searching for information about what was happening. There was nothing except saying she couldn't repeat this under the penalty of…what? She reread the line again. It stated if Bree told anyone about what was going on, she would be under the penalty of death. Bree looked at the principal, then to the woman.

"You can't be serious," she stated. The woman looked at her blankly and said,

"Quite serious. This is government secret information and we cannot trust it to just anyone." Bree glanced around the room. "This room houses, in fact, a number of private information and is a base. It is perfectly safe." Bree gulped, and signed the papers. It was more out of fear than anything else. She had always been witty, but not the exploring, adventurous type. Bree was terrified what would happen if she said no. The woman nodded and slid the papers back over to her side, scanning them. As she handed them to the man, Bree looked at the principal in askance.

"There's been an agency that's had its eye on you for a while now, Brielle. They've been keeping track of your improvements and your determination. They think you qualify to be an agent in their system." She sat back in her chair, stunned. This was not what she was expecting.

"I-uh-I…" she stuttered when they looked at her expectantly. The man, Mr. Walters, seemed to pick up on her loss of words and spoke up.

"You would be placed into a training program of an elite class. We train to protect the citizens. There are many things which this world needs protecting from, many that the public does not realize."

"B-but I have a little brother. I t-take care of him. I mean, he's in boarding school now, but-" Ms. Walters cut Bree off with a wave of her hand.

"St. Ambrose's School for Boys. Yes, we're aware. As soon as school lets out for the year, he may come live with you." Ms. Walters raised her eyebrows.

"A-are you aware of our other family...situations?" Bree asked, fidgeting in her seat. Ms. Walters gave a simple nod, and Bree let out a sigh. She didn't have to explain anything. She glanced at Mr. Walters. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"I understand it's a lot to think about, but you must decide before we leave this room. Time is of essence and we need to begin training." Bree pursed her lips. How could they expect her to make a life-changing decision like this in a matter of minutes? I would be leaving behind fami-,no, brother, she thought. My boyfriend, and basically my "old" life, all for this world of top-secret spying? She grimaced. Ms. Walters looked slightly dazed, as if there were really any need to think at all.

"Can you tell me anything more? Like, what's this agency thing called, what would I be doing?" Caroline Walters shook her head.

"I'm afraid we cannot tell you anything more until we have your consent in document form." Everyone stared at her. Bree took a deep breath.

"I-I accept," she said, shaking her head slightly. Mr. Walters gave her a cheerful grin and Bree felt reassured she was making the right decision.

"Excellent!" he said, clapping his hands together and coming over to where she stood. "Welcome to ZoneTech." He shook her hand, then turned to Ms. Walters. "Let's move out."

"Wait," Bree said, holding up her hand. "I don't get a chance to say goodbye to my mom or my boyfriend? Nobody?" Ms. Walters shook her head curtly.

"A clean break is the best way to move on," she said, pressing a firm hand against her back. "We'll escort you out to where a car is waiting." She nearly shoved Bree out the door into the hall. Mr. Walters was on one side and Ms. Walters on the other. She briefly wondered if they were related or married. They looked somewhat similar so she assumed related somehow. People stopped and started whispering in the hall once they caught sight of me.

"Bree?" Colin shoved his way out of the crowd up to her. Mr. Walters moved to keep him back but she ducked under his arm.

"It's okay Colin. Nothing's wrong," she tried to reassure him but the panic in his eyes didn't lessen. Ms. Walters tightened her grip on her shoulder and jerked her forward. Bree glared at her. "No need to be rude," she muttered, yanking her shoulder out from her grip.

"Bree!" Colin yelled frantically as they pushed me out the door. "What's going o-" The door shut and a car door was opened. The last thing she saw was the frightened look on his face, staring after where she had been just moments before.


	3. Truth

**I forgot this last time. Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers!**

A humming noise woke her up. Bree cracked her eyes open, cursing the sunlight that was streaming into her room. It wasn't even real sunlight, as Mr. Walters had explained to her. It was a huge screen set up to mimic the outside. She had gone down into the earth, with many twists and turns. The entire underground seemed to vibrate, humming with machines and technology. She had no clue how she would even find where she was supposed to go; this place was huge, with its steel walls and gaping ceiling, She had been concerned about the living area. But it turned out; they had modeled her whole new "house" to look exactly like her old house, complete with the "view". It was awesome...except she was being treated like a prisoner. As soon as she had shaken Justin Walter's hand, it was obvious she had gotten in over her head. She had been "escorted" roughly and was threatened to be tied up if she resisted. They had blindfolded her and led her down to a small room. It was a simple square room, with a closet and a bathroom, and the room was just big enough for a bed. Sighing, Bree pulled on a flowy shirt and jeans, grabbing a jean jacket on the way out. The bottom of her shoes dragged. Hm. She would have to get a new pair of red converse sometime soon. She scurried out the door, relieved that for the first time, there were no armed guards at her door. She stopped as she realized she had no idea how to get around. She turned a corner and smacked into someone.

"You knew?" came the voice from whom she had run into. Bree grinned sheepishly and nodded. A man several years older than her, maybe twenty years old, backed up.. He ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up like brown sticks.

"That obvious, huh?" He smiled with good humor.

"Just a little. I'm Mathew Lewis, but by all means, just call me Matt." Bree nodded and smiled.

"I'm Bree. Nice to meet you." He looked surprised at her name.

"Would you happen to be Brielle?" She nodded and he looked impressed. "How old are you?" She shoved her hands in her pockets, unsure how to respond.

"Uh, sixteen," she said, going with her usual response. No need to tell him the whole story, she thought.

"You're working in my lab. I didn't expect you to be so…young. " Bree shrugged, not sure how to respond...again.. He shook his head. "No matter. That's cool that you got in so young. We'll head on down." He started back down the hallway and she scrambled to catch up. "So, did they tell you what we'd be doing?" Matt asked, jamming the elevator button down (the elevators start at 10 and go down to 1) to 3. She shook her head. "No? Hm. I'll catch you up then. We're doing research on undocumented parts of the brain and effects on them." She stared at him in shock. When they had said she would be a spy and working for an undercover agency, she hadn't realized she would be a scientist working in a lab. It made more sense, considering her science grades, but still. Bree had been disappointed when they told her briefly yesterday that no, she would not be out spying on people, and instead working in a science development factor. But this sounded pretty cool, despite the harsh treatment.

"That's neat. How do you do it?" He smiled as the door opened.

"You'll find out soon." Matt punched in a passcode to the lab and stepped inside, holding the door open for her. Bree peeked around the door and her jaw dropped. It was the most amazing lab she had ever seen. It had two stories of lab stations, each station complete with nearly everything one could imagine. He pointed to a station on the upper level in the corner. "That's yours. But you can watch what we're doing for maybe a half hour, then get started." Bree followed him to his lab station and yelped in fright when he opened the door. There was a man, maybe mid-forties, strapped down to the test table. He caught her eye and looked at her with a half-crazed look.

"Please," he begged, "run now. Let me free! I'll help you!" She took an unconscious step backwards, running into Matt. He took her elbow and steadied her, giving the man a stern look.

"Mr. Mulbury," he said, staring at the man. "I advise you to keep quiet. It will just make this process harder." The man yelled something intangible and went quiet. Bree looked at Matt in askance.

"What's going on?" He gestured to the machines the man was hooked up to.

"We're monitoring brain waves. Developing new information. Once we're done with him, we'll take out his brain and study the effects." Bree was aghast as he went over to the man's side.

"You're going to kill him?" she said, her voice jumping two octaves. Mr. Mulbury sighed and looked to Matt. Matt swallowed and looked at her with sadness..

"If that's the end effect." He must have seen the panic in her eyes. "It's completely legal, Bree. These are convicts given life sentences in jail, some of them a death sentence.. They've done horrible things, things no one should need to hear. This was the other option instead of their original punishment. " Bree eyed the man in fear now. He looked outraged at what Matt had said.

"That's a lie!" he yelped. "I never did anything! You took me from my home, my children, and my wife! You-" he was cut off when Matt pressed a button on the machine.

"This button," Matt said, pointing to the control board, "is very useful. It pressing on an area of the brain that makes them goes mute." Bree swallowed the bile rising in her throat. "I'll start and you can watch," he said, oblivious to her horror. "Then you can go up to your lab station to work on your own. We've found trial and error works best." She coughed nervously as Matt pulled on a pair of gloves, staring at the screen of the computer. And then he started the procedure. It was ghastly, but the most frightening thing of all was that Matt seemed to enjoy it. When it was done, he took the lifeless body in his arms and dumped it into a trap-door in the floor. Bree stared down it. "Trash chute," he said distractedly, checking information on his computer. She shuffled around nervously for a bit until he realized she was still there. "Oh sorry. You're free to go on up and start your own." Bree was absolutely terrified, but she was more terrified to disobey. They had machines to control you. There was no telling what they would do to someone who said "no". Bree opened the door to the lab with a shaking hand, and then breathed a sigh of relief when there was no body, no person in there. She looked around the lab and smiled in spite of herself. This was huge. There had to be a way, with all this technology, to do these experiments safely without harming anybody. There were pictures of her on the wall near her desk that I assumed they had gotten from her old house.

"Miss Chasky?" came a female voice. Bree jumped, looking around for the voice before figuring out it came from the intercom. "Are you ready for your first patient?" She swallowed. Patient. That's what they called them.

"Um…yes," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. The table in the middle of the lab went down into the floor, and reappeared shortly after. She stared at the table. There was now a woman around her thirties strapped to the table. Bree hesitantly went over to her. "Hello," she said tentatively. The woman stared at her like she was a rabid wild creature to stay away from. She needed to tread gently. "I'm Bree. What's your name?" she asked almost in a whisper, glancing at the clipboard on the edge of the table. Marisol Cento read the information sheet. Bree pulled it out and studied the clipboard further, glancing between Marisol and the sheet. Thirty-five, female, newlywed, it read. She flipped the page to look for more information. There was nothing except instructions on how to do certain applications and take data. Bree scanned the sheet for any mention of what she had done to land herself here. The lady glared at her..

"Just get a move on, eh? No need to taunt me before ya kill me." Bree looked at her, startled at the roughness in her voice. She could tell she was trying to hide her fear from me. Guilt coursed through Bree, so she pulled up a stool next to the lady.

"I'm scared," she said simply. The woman looked at her, confused. She had no idea what she was going to do, but Bree wanted to comfort this woman. "I'm scared. I'm new here. I've never done anything like this before." Marisol said nothing, just stared at the ceiling. "I don't want to hurt anyone. That's just not who I am," Bree said softly. She could tell Maridol was listening, but she made no movement. "I'm not going to do anything that will hurt you. If it hurts, let me know instantly and we'll stop in that second." The woman looked at Bree curiously, and then gave a small nod.

"I'm Marisol," she said simply. Bree smiled at her and nodded. She studied her for a second. "You really are new, aren't you?" Bree nodded, wondering where she was going with this. She turned and looked her dead in the eyes. "Don't give that up. Don't become one of them. Why you would choose this place, I could never guess, but keep your humanity. Don't hurt others like they do." Bree felt my throat close up.

"What do you mean, 'why would I choose this place'? What's wrong with it?" Bree flashed back to Matt's lab and the dead man, and shivers ran down her spine. Maybe this whole agency was like that. Maybe the woman was right. Maybe she could fix this…this barbaric testing and turn it right. Marisol sighed.

"Just keep your innocence, kiddo. Don't let them get to you." She closed her eyes and turned back to face the ceiling, signaling the conversation was over. Bree did my best to try and gain the information that was needed without any harm to Marisol. The instructions were very loose and a tad confusing, mainly listing the objectives and the starting steps. Matt hadn't been kidding when he said they liked people to come up with their own way. Marisol relaxed eventually, seeming to trust Bree a little when she didn't cause any harm after the first fifteen minutes. They chatted a bit while she worked, about her new husband, and where she came from. Marisol got such a loving look in her eye when she spoke of her husband. It made Bree miss Colin. She remembered the day she had first met him. She had literally ran into him at-

"Ah, miss?" said Marisol, wincing slightly. Bree was jolted out of her thoughts when she saw her twist a little bit.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said, running over to the computer. Bree quickly looked at the computer screen. Huh. Nothing is on that would hurt. She noticed a tiny section of Marisol's brain was reacting. She saw her wince a bit more and quickly pressed the emergency off button. Marisol relaxed visibly and Bree wrote down the strange anomaly on her chart. She'd have to look into that later. "I'm so sorry that hurt. I didn't mean to," Bree said worriedly. She opened the cabinet labeled Medical Supplies and took out the Advil. "This should help if you have a headache." Marisol took it eagerly.

"It's no problem. I know you didn't mean to." Bree went to unstrap her from the bed so she could sit up, but then remembered something important.

"Marisol, what did you do to end up here?" Marisol made a face.

"I…I don't really know. It's fuzzy. The man said they wiped it my memory just enough that I wouldn't know how to do it again. I can't imagine I would do anything bad, though. I mean, I've never done anything illegal or wrong before. I was always the goody-two-shoes." Now that was interesting. Why would they wipe the patient's memories? There would be so much information that they could learn, like why they would do such a thing? An idea sprung into her mind. It would take a while to create, but if it worked, it could uncover what was going on. Bree glanced at Marisol. She was still catching her breath and looked sad. The clock said that they had been there for two hours already. Wow, the time really flew. This definitely wasn't bad or terrifying like Matt's. This actually turned out to be kinda fun. She put down her final thoughts and turned to Marisol.

"Well, Marisol, I think we're done here for today." Her face lit up and Bree had to smile.

"Really? I get to go home?" she said with a grin. She nodded.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you?" Her face darkened a bit.

"There have been rumors flying around. They sometimes release the people here, but they never return to their jobs. Some people think their family is paid off to say they returned, when in actuality...they're gone." Bree's mind reeled. No way. It's must be some crazy rumor. Everyone here had been so nice to her! And as for Matt's office, that…that could have just been an accident. He had been joking around with her right before.

"Rumors spin out of control," she said, almost defensively. Marisol shrugged it off, and Bree pressed the button to unstrap her. They flew off and she stretched.

"Uh, how do I get out?" Bree paused. She hadn't thought of that.

"One sec," she told her, buzzing the intercom to Matt's office.

"Hello Bree," came the crackle of static. Bree smiled and greeted him.

"How do patients get out? I don't even know how to get out." There was a pause and another crackle.

"Um, I'm not actually sure, Bree. Let me check with Leila." Bree peered out of her lab and saw Matt cross over to someone else's and knock on the door. They chatted for a few minutes and then he came up to the lab.

"Mrs. Centro," he said, greeting Marisol and looking at her chart. She nodded in reply. Matt turned to me with an expectant look on his face.

"Well, there are two things you can do. If you think you're only going to let them go once in awhile, we're just escort them out and erase their memories ourselves. But I'm guessing that won't be the case," he added, seeing her expression. "The other option is that our building team can build an elevator that takes them to the surface, under the requirement you erase any memories of this visit before you release them." There was no consideration necessary.

"I'll take the elevator." Matt gave her an amused look and walked out. A few minutes later he came back with a crew of people with building tools.

"Take your lunch break, Bree. And have Mrs. Centro join you until this can be built." Bree seriously doubted they could get the elevator built that fast, but she headed out of the office with Marisol trailing behind her. She was quickly swamped by guards who escorted her and Marisol and commanded them to stop to be blindfolded. They got into the elevator she had originally come down in. The guards pressed a button and they shot up. She stepped out of the elevator. They led the girls a bit further, then took their blindfolds off. It was basically an interrogation room. Food was set out in front of the two opposing chairs on a table. It was a very very tiny amount of food. Bree's stomach grumbled. Both quickly sat down and they ate in silence. Once done, the guards did the same process, leading her back to the lab.. To her astonishment, the lab was now empty, but with an elevator installed in the back wall.

"Wow," Bree marveled. "That was incredibly fast." It was. It should be impossible. People can't build a working elevator several stories high in fifteen minutes! But there it was. Marisol sighed.

"I suppose you have to erase my memory now, right?" Bree sat down in her chair and thought.

"Well," she started. "I don't think I have to erase all of it. I'll keep nearly everything, except where the location is and what procedures were done. I'll keep everything else though." She beamed and sat in the chair that Bree hadn't noticed before, marked Memory Seat. How could I have missed that? She chuckled to myself and sat at the computer, imputing the specifics. The machine whirred and the hat lowered. Marisol closed her eyes for about thirty seconds, while Bree bustled around, cleaning up. The machine beeped, signaling it was done. The hat raised and Marisol stepped out.

"Thank you," she said, eyes glistening with gratitude. "It worked exactly like you said it would." Bree grinned and asked her a few questions to make sure it worked. It had, and she waved goodbye and was ready to send her up the elevator, when Marisol paused.

"You didn't really join by your own choice, did you? The way they treated you…" she trailed off. Bree grimaced.

"They didn't tell me everything. They just told me the good things." Marisol gave her a hug, and whispered,

"Find me when you're done with this job." Bree smiled and waved her goodbye. The elevator came back down shortly, with Marisol gone. Bree smiled to herself. That hadn't been bad at all. She took a quick bathroom break (escorted by guards, of course) and went back to work. By the end of the day, she had seen two other people and they all expressed similar gratitude. Bree was exhausted by the end. She flipped through the data she had collected, when something made her pause. All three had reacted similarly, responding to pain when there should be no pain. A corner of their brain flared up in reaction to certain stimuli. She put the data down and logged it all and signed out of her shift. Bree looked around the lab, her mind returning to idea she had had earlier. What if she could create a machine that retrieved lost or erased memories? She could study the reaction better and see their motives! As it turned to evening, she worked on my new idea. It wasn't in the making stage yet, so she gathered as much information as possible. At seven my intercom binged. It was Matt, reminding her to go to dinner. Bree had completely forgotten about dinner. Oops.

(A/N: I know this chapter was kinda long, especially for a filler chapter with no action, but I promise action (and the Avengers) will be coming in the next few chapters. I needed this one to explain about her work. :) Thank you for favorite-ing, following, and reviewing! You guys made me so happy today! I didn't think anyone would read it, but y'all surprised me! Thank you so much!


	4. Rescued

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Avengers.**

Time passed and Bree's health was deteriorating fast from the poor treatment and lack of hearty food. She tried to everything she could to not anger anyone, but punishments always came. Her lab was now very well known and many would try to get a look as they passed through. She heard that a small few had followed in her footsteps and did a non-violent approach (though whether because of morals or the fact that patients are less resistant, she don't want to know). It was nice to hear about current events going on outside. They limited their news and tv and blocked any new media coming in. Why, she don't know. But with the new people coming in, it was easier to find out about the world. Oddly enough, even though only a few did a non-violent approach, the center was still widely known for its non-harmful tests. It was confusing, to say the least. There were many nights she stayed up trying to fix problems and work on the special project. One of those nights, Bree was working especially late. It was bad when this happened, and forgot about dinner. The guards would think she was trying to hide in her lab to avoid coming out. The end result was not pretty. Matt occasionally would take pity on her and bring her some food (which lead her to believe he was working here by choice, and not being treated like her). There was a knock on the door.

"You're going to overwork yourself," Matt said, and Bree jumped. He could enter a room without a sound. She smiled softly when she saw the small plate of food in his hands.

"Nah. Besides, this isn't work. I logged off a while ago." Matt looked at her quizzically while she helped helped to a small spoonful of soggy Mac n cheese. Bree waved toward the machine in front of her. He leaned forward to touch it.

"May I?" he asked and she nodded nonchalantly. Matt leaned forward and inspected the wires with gentle hands. "Neurotransmitters, connection radiators...Bree, what are you trying to do?" She waved a fork, signaling to hold on until she swallowed.

"Do you know why they wipe their memories? The patients, I mean." He shrugged.

"So that they can't find this place again." Bree shook her head.

"No, before we even begin. They erase their memories of what they did. My first patient, Marisol, said it was so that they couldn't remember how to do it again. But that doesn't make sense. They're strapped down and they can't do anything anyway." He thought over that for a minute while she took another bite of food. Bree hadn't realized how hungry she was.

'Huh…that's interesting. What's that have to does that have to do with what you're building?" Bree gulped down the bite she had taken.

"I'm not sure if it'll even work. I'm trying to get their memories back. Maybe they're just locked away, not erased like we thought." Matt frowned.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Brielle. I'm sure they have good reasons for doing what they do, and we're not to question it." She shrugged. She hadn't come this close to be told not to. He shrugged and went to leave. "Make sure to get a good night's sleep. We can't have a sleepy scientist." Bree gave him a tired grin and started cleaning up. Her eyelids drooped as she washed the tools and put them in the cabinet. She sat down in my chair and glanced at the clock. 11:01. Yikes. No wonder she was so tired. She flinched, remembering the last time she was way late. The guards had thought she was hiding in there from them...the result had not been pretty. She had been feeling so weak lately, and desperately hoped a fever was not coming on. Her legs would give out on her at random times, and her stomach would roll. She felt another wave coming on and closed her eyes.

"Please…immediately…there..." Bree frowned, waking up slightly and glancing around. Oops. She had fallen asleep in the lab. The intercom squeaked and she realized there was an alarm going off. A loud one. She tried to listen around it to hear the voice of the intercom. "Please evacuate immediately to your assigned station. Please evacuate immediately to your assigned station." She blinked and jumped up. There was either a fire or perhaps a lab experiment gone wrong. She frantically grabbed her bag and jammed the plans for future experiments and the old data into the bag to salvage it, just in case. The intercom squeaked and stopped its message. Bree paused. Had it been a false alarm? Just to be safe, she decided to go out anyway and go to her station. Crossing the room, she put her hand on the sensor. It beeped, signaling it recognized her as the owner, but didn't budge. It wouldn't open. Bree tried again. Still nothing. She was locked in my lab.

"Maybe the elevator will work," she muttered, going back across to it. She had never been on it herself, but all her patients used it. The button refused to light up and the doors weren't opened. Bree was trapped. What if there is a fire? she thought. I'll be trapped down here and burn alive. She wore a path between the elevator and the lab door, trying both again and again. From time to time she would hear a crash, or a loud noise, which worried her. She couldn't see out the lab either. They appeared to locked on the opaque mode instead of clear glass. Glass… "Glass," she considered. She might be able to break through! Bree went back towards the elevator to get a running start. She ran and tried to kick the glass. Pain shot through her right leg and she collapsed. Her eyes watered. Bree crawled under the desk like a scared little kid and laid against the wall. What was going on? A crash sounded, but much closer. She tried to keep from tears coming out. I am a strong, fierce girl and I will not cry, she told herself. But her leg hurt and she was trapped while being told to evacuate. There was a much louder and closer crash. She squeezed myself even tinier under the desk. The door made a clicking noise. A tall woman dressed in black stepped into the room, peering around. A man came up behind her.

"Anyone?" he asked. Bree whimpered, then clamped her hand over her mouth. It was too late; they had spotted her. Within a millisecond, there was a gun and a bow with an arrow notched in her face. Tears pooled in her eyes and she sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I don't know what's going on. I'm trapped in here and…" A wave of panic escalated and she choked on the words. The woman continued to glare at her, but the man's eyes softened, though he didn't lower the bow.

"What's your name?" the woman asked in a razor-sharp voice. Bree gulped.

"B-B-Brielle Chasky," she stuttered out, and the man let the bow drop and put his hand to his ear. It looked strange until Bree realized he had an communication device or something of the like. The woman gave no indication she was hearing what he was.

"Got that name?" There was a pause. "No, no. Brielle…" he looked at something on the wall. Her ID tag swung on its chain as he grabbed it. "Chasky." There was a long pause while the person on the other end talked. The woman rolled her eyes and lifted an eyebrow.

"We can't wait here all day, Clint. What's the plan?" Bree couldn't stop shaking. A lot more talk on the other end and the man - Clint - lowered his bow.

"We're taking her with us." The woman gave him a look.

"Are you out of your mind? There's no way we're bringing her with us. She'll kill us the minute we turn our back." A whimper escaped her and they both looked back at Bree, the man, skeptically, and the woman had a cold glare. She tried to shrink down further into the desk before talking.

"I-I'm not d-dangerous," Bree said in a small voice. "I've n-never even held a w-weapon, much less killed anyb-body." The woman held her pose before turning to the man.

"I am not taking responsibility for this, Clint. It's all on you, " she glared. "And if you even try something, I will kill you faster than you can blink," she added, glancing at Bree. She took a few steps back and started talking to someone else on her comm. The man knelt down offered a hand to her. Bree froze, terrified. There were so many things going on she didn't understand; her mind was in overtime.

"You're okay," he said gently. Bree inched was a huge crash and she yelped and shrunk back into the corner. The man muttered under his breath and stood to face the noise. The door swung open to reveal another man. Bree curled up into a ball. In the back of her mind, she was slightly embarrassed for being such a wimp, when she usually wasn't really squeamish or anything like that. But this was far out of her comfort zone. There was a larger man in the door frame, with a metal arm. And he looked ready to kill her.

"Need some help?" he asked, looking for the fight. His eyes flew to the man standing in front of her, the woman glaring in the corner, and finally, Bree, hiding in a ball under the desk, pressed against the wall. "Oh. What's going on?" he asked, crossing over to them..

"Hawkeye here found a stray," the woman deadpanned. Hawkeye, Bree noted, was apparently the man with the bow. The man with the metal arm looked very confused, albeit impatient.

"We need to go," he said, glancing behind him and then back at Bree. Hawkeye grabbed his shoulder and said something to him quietly that Bree couldn't quite make it out.

* * *

"The kid's not going to hurt us. I mean, look at 'er," said 'Hawkeye'. They both turned to look back at Bree, who in turn peeked her head up at them, completely terrified.

"It could be an act," Natasha said, coming up beside them. She still didn't look happy, but at least she was talking. Clint shrugged.

"I highly doubt it. I was just talking to Pepper. She's looking through their employee records. Check out hers." He pressed a button on a watch, and a small holograph popped up. He positioned himself so that both Natasha and Bucky could see, but Bree couldn't. Her ID card floated at the top, with her smiling at the camera.

 _Brielle "Bree" Chasky_

 _Status: (Forced) Lab Scientist_

 _Age: Unknown. Says to be 16_

 _Height: 4'11  
_

 _Weight: 83 lbs._

 _Medical: Has amnesia from an incident at age 9. Vague memories from childhood, but accessible memories quite "blurry". Good memory since then. CAN BE EASILY INFECTED_

 _History:_

 _Parents: Mother- Laura Chasky, 35 Y/O. Currently serving jail time. Father- Kyan Chasky, Deceased. Bree put into foster care. Changed homes 12 times before going to TechSades Science Academy, a boarding school. Got in on science scholarship. Little brother Benton "Benny" Chasky. 8 Y/O. Separated while at foster homes, but visited/called often. Got put into St. Ambrose's School for Boys after running away 3 times._

 _Additional Notes: Harsh treatment has been necessary. Needs guard surveillance. Should be noted that weight has changed, originally 118 lbs before acceptance. Reacting well to the meal plan, successfully cannot fight against anyone. Has no clue of the real objective here. Believes she is doing good and helping others. Implanted a "non-violence" policy in her lab, regardless of other opinions and attempts to sway. Once objective is reached, her use will be done. MUST be kept from the outside world until Step 5 is reached._

All three stared at the card, then her beaming picture at the top. It looked nothing like the terrified, trembling girl hiding under the desk. The words "her use will be done" seemed to glare out at them. Natasha's eyes soften in the slightest, changing from steel to rock. Bucky's eyes flew to a picture on top of her desk. It showed a grinning little girl, maybe eight or nine, holding a very tiny baby. A girl that looked so very like another little girl he had met.

 _"You should tie your hair back," said the little girl with the giant, frizzy red hair. It didn't look like it had been brushed in days, pulled back into a sloppy ponytail and she was horrifically skinny. He stared down at her, silent, but she continued with her sparkly enthusiasm. "Momma says we need to keep our hair back or we'll trip over things we can't see." He looked around the area for the girl's mother and spied a similar mane of red hair flirting with a museum security, trying to get him not to confisticate her flask. Even from across the huge room, he could hear her slurred words._

 _"-I swear, Ima not drunk! I juss think you're too handsome for your job." He swallowed, looking back down at the girl as she continued._

 _"She makes me wear these-" She displayed her wrist, which was covered by a rainbow of hair bands. "-because mine keep falling out. You can't fight evil if you can't see it. I want to be a scientist for superheroes when I grow up. Are you a -" She trailed off, her eyes steadily getting bigger. They darted to the large digital image of James Buchanan Barnes, then back to his face. His eyes darted too, over the exits, the crowds, and the girl's distracted mother, before landing back on her face, where a beaming grin began to grow. "I knew it," she whispered. He blinked down at her, thrown off by the delight in her expression. No one is ever happy to see him. The girl reigned in her wide grin and does her own scan of the crowd, resting briefly on her mother. "Don't worry, I won't tell. Most people can't handle the truth." She leaned in like telling him a secret, eyes twinkling. "But I can." She leaned back and gave him a small smile this time, one that suggested of a shared secret. Slowly, very slowly, he reached out with hands that have broken, maimed, strangled, shot, and ripped apart human flesh. His voice creaked out of him, rusty with disuse._

 _"Can I have a hair tie?" Beaming, the girl rolled off a fiery orange one out of the rainbow and handed it over. He wrapped it around his arm - the non-metal one. The color bore a great likeness to the girl's hair._

 _"It would be my honor," she said, giving a small curtsy and a huge grin. Her mother finally gave up on the security guard._

 _"Elle? C'mon, we're leaving," she said gruffly. The girl's face dropped for a second, a look of fear and disappointment._

 _"That's not my name, Momma," she said, walking towards her anyway._

 _"Close enough," the mother grumbled, taking her by the arm and dragging her out. The last look he got was a beaming smile as she walked out._

He glanced down at his wrist unconsciously. The band had long since snapped from wear and tear, but he kept it stored away in a box under his bed. Bucky wasn't sure if this was the same kid or not, but in case it was...it was time to return the favor. Natasha's next remark jolted him out of his thoughts.

"What does easily infected mean?" she wondered.

"Maybe she just catches colds easily," Clint suggested. They all highly doubted that was it, but they let it drop. Natasha inspected the "key to success" part.

"Hey guys, this ain't a tea party. Where are you people at?" yelled a voice over all their comms. Clint jumped, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Found something, Tony. Cool your rockets for a second. I say we're done here," Natasha retorted. There was a pause.

"Do you mean cool my rockets literally, or just figuratively-" she muted the comm and glanced at the girl. Brielle looked petrified to see her looking at her.

"I think we scare her," she said softly.

"Well, duh. But I don't know what to do," Clint responded. Bucky shrugged.

"Hey guys, what are you going to do?" Pepper asked across the comm.

"We're extracting her right now." This perhaps, Bucky mused, was probably not the best choice of words as the girl gave a small yelp.

Natasha crossed over to the girl and knelt down to her level.

"Hey," she said, being more gentle than the two had ever seen. "We're Avengers. We're not going to hurt you."

The girl gulped, but stuttered out, "W-what are Aveng-gers?" Bucky couldn't help but be disappointed. This was not the girl who he met years ago in the museum. But the spinning hologram still shown, and he noticed that she had amnesia from her younger years. Perhaps there was still a chance. Clint made a face. This made things much harder. It would be much easier if she knew who they were.

"We're…superheroes, I guess," Natasha shrugged at her feeble explanation. Bree looked at her, half-fearful, half-skeptical.

"Those don't exist." Clint snorted and she turned to give him a look, then turned back to the girl.

"Well, that's..sorta true, except for a few of us. We're-" She was cut off by a loud crash and some cursing in her ear.

"Yo Nat, we could use some help if you're not too busy." She rolled her eyes and grabbed Clint's elbow. "I gotta go." She turned to Bucky and Clint. "See if you can't get her out of here." They started to leave.

"W-wait, no, I'm not good with kids. Hey! Wait!" Natasha smirked.

"She's 16 and terrified. Just...I dunno, earn her trust or something? Knock her out if you have to." She left, leaving them sputtering. The guys looked at each other and Clint shrugged. The girl looked at them as they got closer, arms wrapped around her knees.

"Umm...hey. Okay. We're not going to hurt you. She wasn't kidding before. We are actually a team of superheroes. This place was our mission for today. We were told to go in here and make sure they couldn't continue their work." The girl's arms loosened a bit and she inched of of her hiding spot.

"How do I know you aren't lying? They told me I was going to be doing good, and now I'm treated like a prisoner." Bucky sighed, both him and Clint saddened for the girl.

"We can't prove it, you just have to trust us. But I promise you, I'm not going to hurt you. None of use are." Bucky was fairly certain that this wasn't going to work, but the girl inched out of her hiding spot. She stood, wobbling, and both guys grabbed each arm. She looked at him, frightened, and he quickly let go, putting his hands up in surrender. Clint quickly did the same. The girl was unnaturally thin and looked a sickly. Her clothes hung off her, swamping her already-tiny frame. She fiddled with her wrist, eyeing them warily.

"Where are we going?" she asked. A voice filled both of the guys' ears.

"Waiting on you guys. Their backup will be here any minute," the Captain's voice said.

"We're coming, we're coming," Clint said, glancing around the workspace. "Is there a shortcut out of here?" he asked, turning to Bree. She nodded, pointing to the elevator. They jogged over to it, Bree scrambling to get up. She was pale, and her movements were slowing. Clint shot Bucky a look, wondering if she was okay. He shrugged unknowingly. The elevator dinged and opened. They got it and it shot upward. It opened and Bree gasped. This was not the outdoors. This was a hallway filled with needles attached to the walls. It was a lab above a lab. A few people were in there, working. One of them gave a yell and they all grabbed a gun. Bree covered her eyes, and when she opened them Clint and Bucky had taken care of them.

He turned to Bree. "Did you know about this?" She shook her head, a hand over her mouth and tears threatening to spill over. He sighed. "Alright, get down." She looked at him uncomprehendingly, and Bucky tugged on her hand, getting down himself. She gave a yelp as it threw her off-balance and she toppled over.

"Sorry," he said with a grimace. Bree looked at him warily, still second-guessing her choice to trust them. Clint studied the area, then sighed.

"This won't work. There's a room on top of us. It'll crush in before we can get out." Bucky stood back up, but Bree fell over trying to. He offered a hand unconsciously, and she looked at his metal arm a bit fearfully, but took it. He glanced at her and noticed a rainbow of colors at her wrist. Hair ties.

* * *

Bree was still terrified. First they had talked about "extracting" her, whatever that meant. Then she found out that all her patients, her friendly, nice, patients, were being killed. She was horrified by the fact that she had been sending them to their own doom. Then, this man had a huge metal arm. It was a tad frightening. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She quickly got up, thankful for the man's help, regardless that he scared the living daylights out of her. But he had promised that they wouldn't hurt her, so she supposed if they did want to harm her, they would have done so by now. Hawkeye looked at the ceiling.

"I don't know how far this place goes, but the end of the hallway might work." He peered down the place, squinting to see in the dark. There was only a single light in the area they were in, gradually getting darker as the hall went on. The two men started walking, so she scurried to walk behind them. Her vision got spotty from running, and she swayed, catching herself before she fell over.

"H-h-hey guys," she said quietly, catching their attention. "I'm pretty sure I'm about to faint." The world swam and she felt like she was on a high-speed carousel ride. She felt herself drop to the floor. Hawkeye sounded like he was underwater as he cursed. They talked too fast for her to keep up. She felt herself being lifted off the ground, feeling like she was flying. Fast. Lights. Fiery lights flashed in her eyes, but she was cold. And then everything went dark.

 ** _(A/N: Hey guys! There was a headcanon in here so here's the credits: Idea by: orionsnacks Written by: stele3 Tweaked by: Me. For this story. :) I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Bonjour!)_**


	5. Welcome

"...a bit….no, we…"

"But honestly….sometimes…" Warbled voices washed over Bree as she regained consciousness. She could feel the stark lighting press against her eyes, forcing the panicked darkness away. She couldn't remember what was going on. Alarm bells went off in her head. Was she late? Oh no, they were going to punish her. Justin Walters was going to hook her back up to that machine and-

"...be waking up soon. I h….no doubt she can hear us now." The voices were slowly came into focus.

"...be frightened, possibly. I suppose we…." Bree felt a twinge of annoyance at not being able to keep up. She focused.

"...the least frightening person, then?" said a man.

"Good idea...you think that would be?" said a second man. Bree was momentarily proud of herself for focusing enough to hear almost a full sentence.

"Hmm...probably…" _No!_ She thought. Why couldn't she hear them as well anymore?! She vaguely made out a faint beeping in the background.

"Holy...we need...asap." The voices were getting jumbled together and she couldn't make out who was who.

"What's...on? I thought you said…" Darkness tried to wash over her like a tidal wave, but she held it at bay for as long as she could.

"...losing her! Come on, get…" That was the last thing she heard before the darkness swallowed her up, engulfed in the deep sea.

Bree felt like her bones were turning to liquid. No, scratch that, her whole body was turning to liquid. Not a very _nice_ feeling, but more like acid seeping into her system. Her mind drifted and found herself stuck in a memory.

" _-and we will not tolerate such antics." Justin Walters glared down at her, making her insides shrivel up. She didn't know how she had mistaken him to be kind when they first met._

" _I-I'm sorry...sir," she added on after a pointed glare. " I honestly just lost track of time. I was inputting the data and-" He slammed a fist on the table._

" _Do you take me for an idiot?" he seethed. She stared at him for a second, then frantically spoke._

" _No, no, sir, I promise, that's the truth!" she pleaded. His scowl darkened._

" _Take her to one of the Level 10 rooms," he told the guards without peeling his gaze of her. "Maybe then she'll tell us what she's been up to."_

" _No, no, I promise! I swear, I'm not lying to you! Please!" she cried as the guards pinned her wrists behind her and poked a gun into her back. They made her walk out as she continued to beg._

"She's shaking….should...wake her up?" Bree nearly fainted (well, while being somewhat unconscious) of relief to escape the memory. But then fear settled in her stomach. Who _were_ these people?

"No, I'd say let her wake up on her own." Full sentences. An improvement.

"But she's _shaking_. I don't think that's normal." There was a mutter that Bree couldn't make out and a sigh. Bree tried opening her eyes. A stark light flooded her sight and she squinted, eyelids heavy as sandbags. A blurry face came in view and her eyes snapped open. Within second she had pressed herself into the corner of the bed, eyeing the man suspiciously and fearfully. Needles dangled off the bed from being ripped out by the sudden movement.

"Woah, woah, not gonna hurt you," the man said, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Who are you?" she said, voice hoarse from disuse. The man kept his hands up as another man piped up from the corner.

"Dr. Banner. He's helping you, so no need to be afraid." Bree's gaze swung from Dr. Banner to the man in the corner. It was the man from the...she squinted, sorting out the hazy memories.

"What happened? How'd you get out? Where am I?" She uncurled from a ball and laid back down, though tension still rolled off her.

"Ehh, pretty easy. There was no room or building above at the end of the hall, so we just blew the top off. I'm Clint, by the way," he added, ignoring the last question for now.. Bree was grateful he didn't go to shake her hand. Dr. Banner cleared his throat, pulling her attention back.

"Right. So, uhm, Bree, is it?" She nodded as he went on, grabbing a clipboard from a counter. "You're extremely malnourished, and running a fever. Other than that, you seem to be fine." Bree gave a very small smile that he returned. "I'm not sure your stomach could handle food right now, so we're going to hook the nutrient IV back up. That okay?" She gave a small nod, mentally wondering if she would have this much trouble interacting with people from now on. Bree closed her eyes as the needle went into her arm, and they stayed closed afterwards. "You should probably get some rest, Bree. I know you just woke up, but rest is important." She nodded, already drifting off, mentally begging for no more memories or nightmares.

* * *

"She's so skinny!" Pepper grimaced in the kitchen. "What, did they not feed her?" she said indignantly. Bruce and Clint walked into the room, joining the group. Tony was standing in front of his holographs, Steve was eating a snack on the table as well as Bucky, and Wanda was watching Wilson try to beat Rhodes at Mario Kart.

"Nearly looks like it. It's a wonder she's still going," the doctor said, pulling out a chair. Pepper looked at him curiously.

"Shouldn't you be there, in case something happens?" He shook his head.

"She's out for a solid couple of hours. Nothing's going to happen. I've got an alarm set up in case, though."  
"What I'm curious about," drawled Tony from the corned, "is how she got there. There's barely anything about her anywhere. A few small things, sure but not much." He gestured with his hand and made the screen big enough for all of them to see. Wilson and Rhodes paused the game to walk over to it, as well as Pepper. "She goes from this…" He hit play on a video and it showed her accepting an award for some science fair, "to working for an experimental plant."

"We saw her ID card though. It said she was forced to work there. They probably saw how good her grades were and made her work for them," Clint said. Natasha frowned.

"What are we going to do with her? She can't stay here." Tony nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I already let all of you in. I'm not picking up a stray too." Bruce shook his head.

"She has to stay here, at least for now. I have to monitor her levels until she's stable."

"Can't a regular doctor do that?" Tony asked and Clint rolled his eyes.

"Look, she has trouble trusting us, and we're the ones who got her out of there. She freaked out at first when she woke up. What do you think would happen if she woke up in a strange place with absolutely no familiar faces?" he said. There was a moment of silence.

"All of this is irrelevant until we know what Fury's orders are," Steve finally said. There were mutters but no one could argue with that.

"When can we meet her?" Pepper asked, looking at the screen. Bruce sighed.

"Probably not for a while. We should probably have one person that she's most comfortable with talk to her. Any more would scare her. We can introduce you slowly."  
"Who's that? She barely knows any of us." Bruce considered this for a second, but Clint spoke up.

"She didn't seem as afraid when talking to me," he offered. "I was there when she woke up." There were murmurs of agreement and it was settled.

* * *

Bree was only vaguely conscious the next day when they brought the man into the room. He wore sunglasses, even though they were inside. Bree blinked and squinted at him.

"Hey Bree," said Clint, a good couple feet away from her bed. The doctor was watching from the corner, and she narrowed her gaze on the new man. He stared at her until Clint cleared his throat. Bree looked down and waited. "This is Director Fury...well, do we still call you Director? I mean-" A look from the supposed Director cut him off and he turned back to Bree.

"Look, kid, I don't usually make house calls, so make this worth it." Bree blinked, but said nothing. "Tell me about yourself, and not the extended version." She swallowed hard and tried to decide what to tell him.

"Uhmm….well...I-I'm Bree," she said with a blush coming to her face. "But you already knew that. S-so I um, I was really good at science in s-school, and ZoneTech f-found me and brought me in to work in their program. It was not what I thought it was," she finished, hoping not to have to delve into the memories.

"And what was it?" the man asked gruffly. She sighed and fiddled with the blanket corner encased in her hands.

"It was...was um, not good. I wanted to leave after the first week but they wouldn't let me. A-and then they starting punishing me if something went wrong," she said, eyes glued to her hands. Bree was very grateful he did not ask her to elaborate.

"What was your job there?" he asked, sitting in a chair in the corner.

"I was a lab scientist. I did studies on the brain and tested different things." '

"Did you do anything significant that would make the survivors of the invasion search for you?" Bree had to think about this for a second. She was still kind of a quarter-asleep, so it took a while to think.

"No," she said simply. "I don't really know what the other scientists were doing besides Matt, and I didn't do anything special." Fury nodded and stood.

"Well, thank you Ms. Chasky." That was all he said before turning around and walking out. Clint followed him after giving a quick smile to Bree. She turned to Dr. Banner.

"Why was he here?"

"They- well, we were trying to decide your...living arrangements. Do you have any family to stay with?" Bree shook her head, then wincing at the pain the movement brought.

"Not to stay with. I just have my little brother, and he's at boarding school." He nodded and her eyes widened. "I haven't called him since I left TechSades. He's probably so worried," she said quietly.

"You can call him once you're feeling better. We can send a message to his school until them," he said with a small smile. She nodded gratefully and looked down at the IV needles protruding from her arm.

"When can I get out of this room?" He paused and considered her question.

"Well, it's a combination of when I think you're ready for it and what Fury thinks. But if it were just me, I'd say probably by tomorrow, as long as your stomach can hold down the actual food we give you."

"When will w-I know what Mr. Fury said?" Bruce frowned slightly, catching her slip up and mentally made a note to give her a mental evaluation.

"I don't know. He's kind of sporadic." Bree could tell something had caught his attention and mentally grimaced. She didn't trust anyone here- no, she didn't know them nearly well enough- so she had to be careful what she said. Regardless of what they told her, they could be another ZoneTech type- or worse.

"Where am I?" Bruce briefly wondered if he should grab Clint to answer all these questions. He was good at healing the child, but not _talking_ to it, outside of medical things. Bree's eyes lit up with panic, taking his hesitation as bad. He hurriedly answered her question.

"Avengers Tower. You've heard of it, right?" She shook her head slightly, remembering from last time not to shake it too much. "No? Wow, how long were you in that place?" She averted her eyes and her nearly groaned. Yep. Not too good at these children skills. Especially teenagers. "Um, well, there's eleven of us, but not all of us live here or are actually here at the moment. Two of them live in their own apartments, one lives...well, we're not actually sure, and one of us is just out on a mission right now." She considered this with wide eyes.

"There's eleven people?" she whispered. He nodded. "What are their names?" she asked quietly.

"You'll probably meet them all soon, unless Fury doesn't want you to for some reason. There's Tony and Pepper, Clint, who you already met-" he started.

"The arrow guy?" He bit his lip to keep from laughing but nodded and went on.

"Yeah, the arrow guy. You've already met Natasha as well, from what I've heard. She's the redhead that was with Clint." Bree nodded, remembering her. "Let's see, there's Steve, Bucky, and Wanda, though she's getting ready to go out on a mission. Wilson lives in his own apartment, as well does Rhodes, though they stop by fairly often. Thor has his own place here, but he's not here much, since he does work on Asgard." Bree nodded, despite not knowing where that was.

"That's only ten," Bree noted, sure she did the math right. He looked surprised and smiled.

"I live here too, so that's eleven." She nodded, and her head drooped.

"Maybe I can stay awake tomorrow during the day like a normal person," she muttered, already falling asleep. He smiled, even though she couldn't see.

"Maybe."

* * *

Bree anxiously waited for Dr. Banner to come in the next morning. Much to her relief, she wasn't struggling to keep her eyes open or make coherent conversation. Unfortunately, she woke up several hours early than one would normally wake up, and she was sick of sleeping. They had taken the IVs out of her last night while she was asleep, so she wasn't hindered by those anymore. Bree looked at the clock. _5:31 AM_ it read. She bit her lip. Would she get in trouble if she got out of bed? She was pretty sure she would, but there was something she needed to do. She inched over to the edge of the bed, and hesitantly put a foot down. It buckled under her and she yelped, quickly stifling it. Bree gripped the edges of the table and tried to heave herself out of the bed, nearly falling multiple times. Finally she reached the table with the computer-type thing she had seen Dr. Banner use. It didn't seem to have a screen, but just floated in the air. She tapped where it had been hesitantly and it popped on. She pursed her lips, trying to remember what to do. She found a search bar and carefully tapped out _Avengers_. A video came up, and she tapped on it to play. A hastily-taken shaky video played, and she could make out through the grainy screen several people fighting off...was it robots? They had robots at ZoneTech that had been helpful. An arrow whizzed by the person taking the video and they cursed and dropped the phone. The video ended and she quickly closed out and turned the computer off. Was she on the wrong side again? Bree pulled herself to her feet and tried walking out the door. It swung gently, but not nearly enough to open. She grit her teeth and tried again. This time it opened just enough for her to slide through. She fell to the floor after getting through and hissed through her teeth as her weak legs gave out. A surprised-looking lady gave a startled yelp and stepped back. Bree's eyes widened and she quickly scrambled back against the door.

"You must be Bree," the lady said kindly. Bree looked at her suspiciously as she went on. "I'm Pepper. It's nice to finally meet you." Pepper offered her a hand up and Bree stared at it for a moment. She tentatively took his, wincing at the contact. Once standing she let go, only to wobble and nearly fall down again. Pepper caught her and kept a hand on her elbow so she didn't fall again. Heat rose on Bree's cheeks and her ears turned pink.

"Thanks," she murmured and Pepper nodded.

"What were you doing up and out of your room? I assume Bruce doesn't know," she said with a small smile. Bree met her look with a blank look. "Dr. Banner," she clarified and Bree looked down and nodded. "No worries," Pepper said, leading her to a different room. "It'll be our secret." Bree was confused. Why would this lady keep a secret for her when they barely knew each other? Maybe Pepper would use it against her later for something. With that in mind she nearly went back to the room, but Pepper had led her to a chair and sat her down. Bree scanned the room. It looked like she was in a huge kitchen that turned into a living room. She was sitting on a chair that was in a set of them up against the kitchen island. Pepper crossed around to the fridge and peered inside. "I was already making breakfast, so let's see if there's anything here you can eat. That is, if you're hungry," she said, turning to see Bree's response. Bree's stomach growled and Pepper chuckled as Bree blushed again. "Food it is, then," Pepper said, still chuckling. She hummed as she took something out of the fridge and poured it into a bowl. Bree looked around the room again and yelped. A man was sitting in a chair in the living room, eating breakfast quietly. Bree wondered how she hadn't noticed him before. He looked up at her and nodded in greeting. Bree vaguely remembered him from before - the one with the metal arm. It seemed impossible for him to blend in, now that she had noticed him, but he did. The microwave binged and Pepper set a small bowl full of some food in front of her. "Applesauce," she said absentmindedly, moving on to the next thing. Bree stared at the bowl of applesauce. It seemed like such a small amount, but it was more than she had had in a long time at once. She wondered if they were trying to poison her. Then again, she had watched Pepper make it, so she wouldn't have had a chance. Bree carefully lifted the spoon to her lips and had a taste. An explosion of flavor lit up in her mouth, but she made herself savour it. It was very rich compared to what she was used to in the past months.

"Why are you guys up so early?" she found herself asking, mentally scolding herself. _Speak only when spoken to._ But neither of them seemed to mind.

"I'm just a busy person," Pepper shrugged. "It gives me time to enjoy my morning instead of rushing around."

"I don't sleep well," came the voice from the corner. She turned around and saw him looking down at his food, shrugging as well. Bree turned back to her food and took another bite, before hearing a door open.

"Guys, have you seen-" She froze. Dr. Banner turned the corner and spotted her sitting at the table eating. Bree pushed it away and covered her face, curling up into a ball.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I was hungry and Pepper offered! I know I shouldn't have gone out and-" A sob choked back whatever she was going to say next and she flinched away from him. She slowly peered out from her hands to see his reaction. He hadn't moved and his eyes swam with...pity.

" You're fine, I just didn't know where you went," he said with a wave of his hand, crossing over to the island himself. She shrunk back when he got close, certain it was a trick. But no, he passed by her and grabbed a box of cereal out of the pantry and poured himself a bowl. Slowly, she unfurled herself, taking another bite of applesauce between scared glances. She finally relaxed a little bit when he did nothing except pull up a tablet and read the news.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites, guys! Special thanks to: Moonleaf Stormrunner, Kate, and VulcanTrekkie! I appreicate the reviews! Also, since this is coming in a day late, I'll be posting_ _ **another**_ _chapter later tonight!_


	6. Panic

Bree was very grateful for the beckoning from Dr. Banner, to leave the gym and the mortification that followed. He had only wanted a check-up, and said he had something to show her.

"Where are we going, Dr. Banner?" she asked as they stepped into the elevator. She eyed the button he pushed suspiciously. 35. That was mighty high up.

"Tony wanted to show you your room. It's the tower's guest room, right off the main floor. It's just until we can find out what the plan is and get a construction team in to build you your own room. Tony would have shown you himself, but I figured you could be spared from the bragging and taunting." He looked down at her, giving her a small smile. "And by all means, just call me Bruce." Bree blinked in surprise at him, then turned to look at the elevator button after a small nod. The elevator began to slow. _Nowhere near 35,_ Bree realized. The door slid open before she could say anything, and she heard a sigh from the man behind her.

"Nice try," Tony said, sliding into the elevator. "But you forget I have ears everywhere. Well, not _really,_ because Friday doesn't have ears, but-"

"We get what you mean, Stark. Just try to keep the snarky comments to a minimum." Bree bit her lip to keep from laughing at their bickering. The elevator continued to go up as Tony hummed something Bree didn't recognize. Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. There was a small hallway...no, _mudroom_ , Bree realized. It had a small closet and a place to put shoes. It was painted a light blue color with dark brown wood floors and accents. Both men were silent as she looked around the small hallway.

"What is this?" Bruce shuffled while Tony looked smug.

"It's the guest house.. Well, floor is more accurate, but it's supposed to model an apartment. It's a bit small since, well, it's for guests." Bree shook her head slowly, marveling at the room.

"It's so nice."

"Kid, this is the _mudroom_. Go check out the rest," Tony scoffed. Bruce smiled at her, encouraging her to go to the next room with a gesture, though she noticed something else. Worry, maybe? She hesitantly walked through the entryway and gasped. It was exactly like a small apartment. Bree had walked into a small kitchen/living room. There were cabinets and a small counter with mini kitchen appliances. It was too tiny to use for every day for meals, but it looked great for holding snacks and such. There was a TV with a bookcase built around it on the opposite wall, and a small chair in front of it. There was a white door on the far wall. "It's not much," Tony admitted, looking around the place. "No one really uses their rooms, except for to sleep. The main floor is where we all hang out." Bree nodded, a small grin spreading. The two men were silent for an awkward few seconds, before Bruce cleared his throat.

"We'll let you get settled in. Lunch is usually around twelve thirty."

"Thank you," Bree whispered, floored by their kindness. The two left the room, leaving her to explore. Even though it was only a guest "room", it was still bigger than anywhere she'd ever lived before. _The old apartment was smaller..._ Bree's thoughts faltered and she tried to latch onto the memory. It spun out from her mental grasp and she sighed. When she was nine, she had been in an accident that caused severe head trauma. Luckily, the doctors were good and everything was back to normal, except her memory. Most memories of her youth were fuzzy or simply not there. She could remember small, unimportant things like the blue jewels at the end of her curtains, but not her old house. A flash of her third grade's class clown, but not the school she went to. Of course, Bree figured most of it out simply by elimination and research. There were records of her at a public school near where the people had told her she had lived. She remembered her mom, but not her dad. Bree wandered into the adjoining room to find a (relatively) huge, fluffy bed that took up most of the room. There was a coffee table next to it with a pull-string lamp and book on it. It was perfect. She slipped onto the bed and huddled herself in the covers, finally able to just _breathe_. The panic attack from earlier had left her deeply shaken, but it went back far further than that. Bree used to be a good judge of character, but she messed up big time with ZoneTech. Even the thought of the name made her shiver. But suddenly she's living with supposed "superheroes", and everything's happening fast. Now she was jumpy and didn't trust anyone- and it was starting to annoy her. But she didn't know how to snap out of it.

* * *

Pepper sighed once the door shut with a quiet _click_.

"We need to do something," she said, staring at where the girl's retreating form had just been. "It's been five days, and she only comes out for medications and meals."

"She barely says anything," added Wanda. She and Vision had come back the day before, much to the surprise of Bree. Bruce had been worried how she would react to yet another person, but she handled it well, introducing herself before escaping back to the guest room. They had purposefully asked Wilson and Rhodes to steer clear of stopping by the place until they could get Bree to open up a little bit. Thankfully, they both agreed but so far, it was proving harder than they thought, getting her to open up.

"Does the kid have any friends?" Tony asked, reaching for a bag of chips. Pepper swiped them away before he could reach them.

" _Honestly_ ," she reprimanded. "It's almost dinner time. And what do you mean? Any friends from that place would probably be in hiding." Tony scowled at her before elaborating.

"Not from that place. I don't think she had friends there. I mean, before that, at her old school. We know she went to some fancy science school before, the kid had to have had at least one friend."

"You would let a stranger into the Tower?" said Natasha dryly. They were all gathered around the kitchen island, while Pepper and Wanda were cooking. Tony looked thoughtful.

"Well, I'm assuming Bree can't go out yet, and based on how thing's are going I doubt she'd _want_ to go out. We'd have to have a few people in the room with them though, just in case."

"We'll do it," Steve volunteered, glancing at Bucky out of the corner of his eye. "Buck and I can do it. We'll just keep to ourselves." Bucky scowled, opening his mouth to protest, but Tony cut in.

"Friday, get me any pictures, videos, or articles with Brielle Chasky in a group."

"Right away, sir." Bucky shut his mouth, glaring at Steve. Soon enough, multiple images popped up on the holograph, some with Bree in what looked like a school group, and a few with a boy about her age.

"Oh, hold on a second, go to that one," Pepper said, motioning to a certain picture. The full article popped up, titled _Science Fair Winners: 4th Win in a Row!_ The picture attached was Bree kissing the cheek of the boy. It appeared to be a school newspaper snippet, by the looks of it.

 _For the Fourth year in a row, power team (and couple) Brielle Chasky and Colin Richards win the Annual Science Fair. Ever since coming to our school four years ago, Brielle had swept the fair, earning first place every time. In the last two years, she paired up with Colin Richards to complete the sweep._

They stared at the photograph. She looked so happy, face full of light. She had changed so much in a short amount of time.

"Friday, see if we can get Colin here tomorrow." There was a silence for a minute.

"Mr. Stark, there are no files of a Colin Richards, besides the articles about the fair." Wanda looked at them in confusion.

"What's that mean?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's that mean?" echoed Clint, suspiciousness etched onto his face.

"I apologize, Mr. Stark. There are no school records of him even attending school there." Tony looked at the screen skeptically.

'Huh. I'll have to search more later. Well, that one's out. Anyone else?" The holograph whirred through several more articles and images before coming to a stop.

"Here you go, Mr. Stark. A Harper Lovens appears in a few articles." Yet another picture popped up, this one of Bree with an arm around a girl, maybe three years older. It was dated a year prior.

 _Brielle Chasky (15 y/o) and Harper Lovens (17 y/o) won the Regional Wii Competition. Ms. Chasky, known for her science genius, had a few surprises in store. Apparently her and her friend have been training for a while._

" _It's been a lot of fun," said Lovens, grinning after accepting the trophy. "I get to play video games_ _and_ _hangout with one of my best friends. Can't get much better than that." Ms. Chasky was quick to agree, before being shuffled off to leave. I for one, cannot wait to see what is in store for these girls._

"Not a whole lot of good for one of them," Natasha murmured, so quietly everyone barely heard it. Tony clapped his hands and broke the silence.

"Well, then, Friday, let's grace this Harper Lovens with our presence." He got a mischievous look in his eye and Bruce had to smile.

"Don't scare her off," he warned, before thinking of another question. "If we're going to surprise Bree, how are we going to get this Harper girl in here?" A smile spread over Steve's face.

"Leave that to me."

* * *

Bree stared at Steve, flabbergasted.

"You want me to _what?"_ He bit his lip to keep from laughing at her expression.

"Just come out for a walk. Honestly, we're supposed to be training you already, I'm going easy." This was a lie, but Steve had intended to start training her in self-defense already anyway, so technically, it kind of wasn't. She looked at him doubtfully.

"There's no way I'm going to keep up. I didn't run even _before_ Zo..." She faltered but continued. "...all this happened. Or walk around much. Really, I just kind of don't do any of that physical stuff. Does Dr. Ban- uh, Bruce know? Am I allowed to do this?" she rambled as he ushered her out the door. She was irked that this seemed to amuse him, but figured it would be impolite to say that.

"We're not expecting you to keep up. Just a short walk would be good. Got to get your strength back up...or just up," he said. She had trouble keeping a small smile off of her face and pretending to be annoyed. "And yes, Bruce knows. He thought it was a good idea." Well, he had after being assured that no, they would not let her overexert herself (though Steve highly doubted that she would) and that they would return her home safely.

"Where are we going?" she asked, picking at something on her sleeve.

"Just a little ways from here," he said casually. She frowned.

"Doesn't that count as my short walk then?" He chuckled and she allowed herself a small smile.

"Not this time. It's barely a walk." They got to the nearby park. It was pretty small for Steve's running- he could get at least 50 laps in in a half hour- but it would be perfect for Bree to start out on. Maybe walk a quarter of it, then head back. He spotted Bucky and Sam arguing over near the tree at the start of the sidewalk.

"Hey guys," he said, walking over to him. Bucky nodded in hello- they had just seen each other about 20 minutes ago. The group had decided that Steve would walk her over, and that they could introduce her to Sam Wilson there.

"Hi there," Sam said to Bree, sticking out his hand. She tentatively shook it as he gave her a wide smile. "I'm Sam. You must be Bree." She nodded shyly, hanging back behind Steve.

"Alright Bree, we're going to start. Go about a quarter of the way in, then head back. We'll meet you back at this tree when we're done." With that, the three of them took off running. She took a small step back, startled at the speed in which the three of them were running. Sam was obviously the slowest, but he kept up well at the beginning, before slowing down. Bree then remembered she was supposed to be walking, and sighed, placing her foot in front of the other. She had barely gone five steps when Steve and Bucky whizzed past her. They quickly caught up to Sam, who she could see sighing from across the park.

"On your left."

"On your right."

Again and again they went around, each time Sam got more annoyed. Bree was full-out giggling by the time she reached her stopping point and sat down under the tree.

"On your left."

"On your right."

"I know, already!" Sam snapped, giving them death glares. Bree saw a look of amusement cross Bucky's face- the first time, she noticed, she had seen him anywhere close to a smile in her presence. They slowed down once reaching the tree Bree sat under, and Sam caught his breath, giving Steve a dirty look.

"Must you do that? Doesn't it get old?" Steve shook his head with a wry smile.

"Nah, we only do it on Fridays." A laugh slipped out of Bree and Sam gave her an annoyed look, tinged with amusement.

"Not you too!" She smiled at him, deciding she liked this Sam Wilson. Steve laughed, checking his phone.

"Well, it's time to head back to the Tower. Catch you later, Sam." They said their goodbyes and Steve, Bucky, and Bree walked back to the tower in silence. She noted that Bucky looked incredibly uncomfortable and that Steve was barely containing his amusement. Bree wondered what was going on. Did he not like her? Did she do something wrong? She barely had time to think about this as they walked up to the Tower. They walked out once they reached the main living floor, and Bree gasped. The Avengers were all spread out in the kitchen, but that was not what surprised her. A girl was standing there in a black and pink dress and dangling feather earrings. She was incredibly tall for her age, standing maybe 6 foot, and had short brown hair.

"Harper?" Bree said in wonder, eyes sparkling for the first time in months. The tall girl laughed and nodded.

"Yep! How cool, right?" Her eyes narrowed and her features turned stern. "Now, would you like to explain where you've been for the past few months?" Bree's face darkened and she hesitated. Bruce frowned, worried this would send her into another panic attack. Though the young girl had not told him about it, both Steve and Friday had informed him of the attack. He was concerned at both the possible triggers and the fact that Bree hadn't told him about it. But Harper rushed on, dozens of bracelets clinking together as she motioned with her hands. "You disappear from school, disconnect your phone number, and don't even respond to your emails. Your _emails,_ Bree? I haven't sent an email in years! And I know that you prefer email, so I went the old fashioned way and sent you an email. But _no-oo_. I didn't even get it to go through! It just kicked back with one of those Mailer-Demon things!" Harper finally paused to catch a breath and Bree interrupted.

"Harper, I'm-" Her voice seemed to fail her and she licked her lips, looking a tad frightened.

"She couldn't tell you," Natasha said, crossing over to the girls. She stood next to Bree, and the girl nearly melted in relief. "She's been working with us for the past few months, and on orders to remain quiet." Harper seemed to consider this, a bit intimidated by the redhead.

"Fine," she finally huffed, giving Bree a sly smile. "I hear they've got epic video game systems here."

* * *

Bucky had to admit, it was rather amusing to watch the two girls play those video games. They had played some incredibly high-tech video game that he didn't understand, and then moved on to Mario Kart. Even he knew what that was. Well, in theory. He had never _actually_ played it. But based on the giggles and gentle teasing (on Harper's side), it enraptured the younger girls. He watched silently in the background along with Steve, making sure nothing went wrong.

"Oh, come on, Bree. Your skills have not improved in the _slightest_." Bree giggled. The older girl seemed to tease Bree like a younger sister.

"Sorry. I haven't had much time to practice," she admitted. "How's school going?" Bree asked. Harper brightened.

"Very well! I've gotten a few offers from science schools after my first year of college. You know, VeilBlock, InterRealms, and a couple others. I haven't gotten a response back from my top pick yet though," she pouted.

"What's your top pick?" Bree asked, wanting to absorb every new bit of information she had missed while she was away. Anyone in the room could see how much Bree admired Harper and respected the older girl.

"It's a science facility called ZoneTech. I heard they were accepting students, so I applied, but they went silent. Nobody's heard from them in a week. I mean…" She trailed off, looking at the reactions in the room. Steve and Bucky were watching Bree intently, waiting for any signs of distress. Bree swallowed hard, fear filling her eyes. "Bree?" Harper said softly. She didn't answer. "Bree, are you okay?"

"C'mon, kid." Bree didn't even look up as someone tugged her to her feet and escorted her out the door. Harper looked at the remaining man. Steve was staring at the space where Bucky and Bree had disappeared. He assumed he was taking her to Bruce, but this Harper kid was left confused.

And that is how Harper Lovens came to be included in the true story of what had happened to Bree.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello wonderful readers! First off, extreme thanks to the fantastic reviewers: VulcanTrekkie and Moonleaf Stormrunner. You guys are awesome! Thanks also to all the favoriters (is that even a word?) and followers of the story. :)**

 **Second (because I do love my list formats): Please let me know of any typos or mistakes in here. I was having some major issues with health last night when I worked on the main part of it, and some of it makes sense in _my_ mind, but maybe not to you people. :) **

**Third: Please forgive me for forgetting about Vision! Eep! He totally escaped my mind. I put him in here this chapter. Also, apologies to Rhodes fans for not having him in here yet. I'm an awkward writer, and I don't know as much about him as other characters. He'll be in here though, I promise.**

 **Fourth: Harper! I put you in the story! Happy birthday, girl! Hope you feel better soon! :D  
**

 **If you're enjoying the story, leave a review! I do enjoy those very much. :)**

 **Phew, you've made it to the end of my list. Thanks for reading! ^-^**


	7. Confrontation

He was thankful she was at least walking. Bree seemed to be lost in a daze- a daze that he knew all too well. If it was anything like Bucky's own anxiety attacks, either it would leave her soon and just leave her a little shaken, or it would escalate quickly into a full-blown attack. Hopefully the former would play out. He briefly considered asking Friday for help, but dismissed it. There was a high chance that she had already alerted Bruce or someone else, and besides, Friday made him uncomfortable. Bree suddenly jolted, careening into the wall. She staggered, then looked up at him, panic mixed with confusion.

"W...ers?" she whispered so quietly, he didn't catch most of it. But Bucky had read the file. Justin Walters and Caroline Walters had been the head of the Science division of ZoneTech. He assumed that's what she had been referencing. What he didn't know though, was what she meant by that. In her state, did she think that _he_ was Justin Walters, or was she just stating what she was remembering? He stilled, a reaction to nerves that he had picked up over the years.

"You're in Avengers Tower," Bucky said, only a bit louder than she had been. "It's safe now." She swayed unsteadily on her feet and he put a hand on Bree's shoulder to steady her. He mentally cringed at the contact with the small girl, but she looked like she was about to fall over or pass out. "Kid, you need to breathe," he said a bit louder. She nodded, the first response to anything said yet, and looked down, trying to catch her breath. Footsteps echoed through the halls as someone ran toward them. Bree went right back into panic mode and Bucky mentally groaned. She hid herself behind him, completely surprising him, eyes darting wildly. Pepper appeared, eyes filled with concern.

"Friday said I'd find you here. Bree? It's okay. It's just me," she said, leaning down slightly to try and look her in the eye. Bree refused to make eye contact, staring at the floor, the walls, anywhere except meet Pepper's gaze. "We're going to go see Bruce, okay?" she said gently, stepping closer to her. Bucky maneuvered out of the way, leaving Bree with no one to hide behind. The girl finally met Pepper's gaze, and when she did, something clicked. Bree gave a small sigh of relief and willingly stepped toward the woman, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Bucky followed as they got into the elevator and headed back down to the med room. Bucky hated elevators, and he was relieved it was only a few flights down. Bruce was waiting when the doors finally opened, watching expectantly.

"Are you okay, Bree?" She nodded and mumbled something, ears still pink. "Good to hear it." Even though Bruce Banner didn't do much in the medical field, all the Avengers relied on him for everything except huge injuries. He led the small group to the medical room, where he checked on Bree's heart rate and a few other things. Bree sat on the bed with a heart rate machine on her finger, and various other machines. Bucky and Pepper stood in the back, Bucky himself positioned next to the door, Pepper looking worriedly at the girl "You seem to be relatively normal. Just take it easy for a bit," Bruce said, logging something on the floating computer. The door swung open, narrowly missing Pepper. A stricken-looking Harper walked in, followed closely by Steve. Harper ignored the others and went over to sit by Bree, placing a hand on hers.

"Why didn't you tell me?" the older girl whispered, searching Bree's face. Bree's face crumpled, an expression that broke Pepper's heart.

"I couldn't," said Bree, casting her gaze down at her lap. "I-I-" Her voice caught and Bucky was afraid she would have yet another attack so soon after the last one.

"Maybe we should leave the matter alone for now," Pepper interrupted, thinking the same thing. Harper bit her lip but nodded, noting Bree's reaction.

"Can I have a minute alone with her?" Bree asked quietly, glancing up at Bruce. He looked startled, but nodded. They all filed out, though watching on a video feed outside. There was no way they could be alone without surveillance so soon after what had happened. They watched as Harper wrapped the girl in a tight hug, and how Bree's shoulders shook.

"I'm frighted, Harp. I don't know these people. I don't know anything about them except they seem nice, but…" She trailed off and swallowed, while Harper looked at her dubiously.

"You don't _know_ these people? Brielle, these are the Avengers we're talking about. How on earth do you not know who they are? They've been around for at least a couple years now." Bree gave her a soft smile.

"Guess I just live under a rock." Harper laughed at this, and patted Bree's knee.

"Honestly, Bree, if you're worried, look it up. You've always been good at research. Dig around a little, see for yourself." Bree looked startled at the idea, but nodded. Bucky frowned, but he supposed what little she would find would help the girl stay away for her own safety.

"How's Colin?" she asked, fiddling with the machine clamped on her finger. Harper looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean? He left in a similar way a couple of hours after you did. They came back for-" Harper stopped, realizing what she was saying. "Bree, I mean, I don't think-" It was too late. Bree rushed out the door, not even looking a tiny bit surprised to find them clumped around the webcam.

"They've got Colin," she said hurriedly. "They've got him. You've got to do something. Anything!" she pleaded. Pepper put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We'll look for him, I promise," she said reassuringly. But her eyes echoed the concealed worry and pity that was in each of the other's eyes too. Harper came out after her.

"He's resourceful, Bree. I'm sure he's fine." But even Harper didn't sound like she believed her own words. An alarm went off and Harper dug her phone out of her pocket. "I'm so sorry, Bree," she said, tone swimming with concern. "But I've got to go. I've got an interview in a half hour." Bree nodded, still reeling from the news. Harper gave her friend a quick hug goodbye and left. The rest of the Avengers dispersed after worried (or in Bucky's case, just a nod) look, leaving the girl to be alone for a bit. She wandered back to her room, and pulled up the computer on the desk. She hadn't used it yet (no need) but now seemed like a good time. She put in the first name she remembered: Pepper Potts. A bunch of information came up, and she carefully searched through the information before deeming her not a threat. Steve, apparently, had super strength and a bunch of other stuff. That explained why he was so fast running earlier that day. But Bucky kept up with him not problem, so did he have super speed or strength too? She put in his name and instantly was confused. It had listed a James Buchanan Barnes, but he had died during a mission back in...World War Two? Bree kept looking, but that was all that ever appeared. Captain America's best friend, death date, even old family members, but nothing that explained how the man was living in the same tower as her. She typed in Tony Stark just as a knock sounded at her door.

"Uh, come in?" Bree answered hesitantly. The door opened and Pepper stuck her head in.

"Hey, Bree. We just wanted to make sure you were okay." Bree nodded, as the computer screen caught the older redhead's eye. She crossed over to the bed and sighed, sitting on it. Bree turned in her chair to face her. "Look, Bree, I know you want to make sure you can trust us. I get it, I really do. But you can't trust information to make that decision for you. Everyone has a chapter they don't read out loud. _Especially_ the people here. You're just going to learn to trust us yourself." Bree nodded, pressing the power button on the computer. Pepper stood, smiling at the girl.

"Thank you, Miss Pepper." The woman rolled her eyes.

"I've told you before, you can just call me Pepper." Bree smiled and a flicker of dry amusement flashed in Bree's eye, surprising her. She turned to go, but her eye caught on Bree's empty closet. "Bree," she started. "Where are your other clothes?" Bree blushed and went into the bathroom, pulling out a pair of jean shorts and the flowered top she had worn the first day.

"I only have these two pairs," she admitted, gesturing at the clothes she was wearing. "This, and the ones left out for me when I woke up. I just wash them everyday in the bathroom." Pepper stared at her in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Bree shrunk back, shame filling her expression.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Pepper immediately waved her hands.

"No, no, not like that. We'll have to get you some new clothes. I've got some work left to do, but in an hour or two we can go. I'll ask Natasha and Wanda too." With that, Pepper left a stunned Bree, already planning what to get for the small girl.

* * *

"Goodness, how small _are_ you?" Bree blushed at the exasperated expression of Wanda, finding yet another shirt hung like a dress on Bree.

"4'11," she said shyly, while Pepper chuckled and Natasha gave a wry smile. There was no petite section in Wanda's favorite store, though she had insisted on trying it anyway. After combing through nearly the whole store, they were running out of options. Wanda hid a smile and sighed.

"Try this, then," she said, handing Bree their last outfit, pink New York shirt. She slipped back into the changing room and emerged, smiling slightly, looking self-conscious.

"It fits," she said, inspecting it curiously in the mirror outside the stall. It clashed wonderfully with her wild red hair. Wanda clapped her hands and gave an approving nod.

"There we go! At least we found _something,_ " she said with a grin. Pepper and Natasha watched the two.

"Seems like Wanda's having fun," Natasha remarked and Pepper nodded. "Do you think Bree is?" Pepper studied her.

"A little. We should probably get some more clothes before she crashes. Bruce warned us to only have her out and about for a short period of time." Natasha stepped up to the girls.

"We should probably look at some other stores too. They'll have more options." Bree changed back and came out, blushing.

"I don't have any money," she said shyly, casting her gaze down. Pepper waved her hand.

"Don't worry about it, Bree. We've got it covered." Bree looked ready to argue, but nodded reluctantly. The group quickly checked out and exited the store. Bree noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, but there was nothing there. It set her nerves on edge but she said nothing, turning back to something Wanda was chattering about. The girl was very bright, very bubbly. Bree wasn't very talkative, so it was perfect. She just had to nod and speak up every once in awhile. Pepper led them to a store with a rather large section for petites, and they found a bunch more clothes there. Bree exited with a bagful of clothes, promising Pepper that she would repay her for everything once she got the money. Pepper assured her it was no big deal, but Bree still felt bad. They decided to head to the food court.

"Natasha," Bree said, falling back to where she was. "I think we're being followed." Natasha gave her an amused look.

"Why do you think that?" Bree fidgeted, unsure of how to explain.

"I keep seeing something out of the corner of my eye. Something moving." Bree's ears turned pink at her feeble explanation. "Never mind. It's nothing." Natasha's expression remained amused as she pulled out a phone and flipped it open.

"Barton," she said, giving Bree a small smile. "You're scaring the kid. And honestly, if she can see you, you're losing your touch." There was a muffled sound from the other end and Natasha flipped the phone shut.

"Sorry, kid." The voice directly behind Bree made her jump. She whirled around to see Clint behind them. "Didn't mean to scare you." He shot her a smile as the group stepped up to some Chinese place.

"He's our extra security," Natasha explained. "Though obviously he's not very good at it."

"Hey, I'll have you know, I wasn't trying very hard." Natasha rolled her eyes and ordered some food that Bree couldn't pronounce.

"Um, I'll just have the same," Bree said, not very hungry in the first place. The woman behind the counter nodded agreebly and handed her the food. Bree put her food down and sat, then thought better of it. "I'm going to go wash my hands," she said quietly. The group nodded, and she walked over to a map to look for the nearest bathroom. Bree glanced over her shoulder. The food court was a bit away, and her group was just out of sight. A person bumped into her and she jumped.

"Watch it," the stranger snapped. Bree blushed and mumbled an apology, turning back to the screen. She traced a finger to the nearest bathroom, memorizing the route. Someone grabbed her hand and she shrieked, spinning around. The man who had ran into her tightened his grip, staring at her with a cool glare.

"L-let me go," she stuttered, trying to release her hand from his grip. His stare didn't change as he grabbed her other hand and she whimpered.

"If you so much as whisper for help, there will be consequences," he hissed. "You thought you could get away? You belong to ZoneTech and we will always find you." He held her hands in front of her, and Bree looked around wildly. If the other shoppers thought anything was wrong, they sure didn't show it. Bree looked helplessly at the woman passing by on her phone, wishing, hoping, that _someone_ would notice...or care. Bree kicked wildly, and managed to land a kick to his knee. The man gasped, but didn't let go. He narrowed his eyes at her and muttered something. "You've got a death wish, then." He gripped her wrists so tightly that she barely concealed a yell, and only a muffled cry escaped. She blinked her eyes hard to keep the tears from spilling out. They were going to take her back. He kept a tight grasp as he yanked her away from the map and towards the nearest department store. They snaked through it, going down an escalator before coming to the exit doors. Bree dug her feet into the tile floors as well as she could, but in sandals, it was hard. The man saw what she was doing and yanked her through the doors, leaving the chilly stores for the summer sun.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but she's kind of with us. And we'd really prefer to have her back." Bree nearly melted with relief when the familiar voice reached her ears. Clint stood with his bow out (where did he get that from? He hadn't been carrying it), with Natasha and Wanda on either side of him. Pepper stood next to them, giving off the illusion she as well could fight. The man cursed under his breath and faced Clint.

"That's not your decision to make. She signed a contract to ZoneTech." Bree shuddered and the man looked down at her. Bree could tell he was debating on what to do. He was far outnumbered by the superheroes, all armed. Bree guessed he had at least one weapon on him, but he wasn't fast enough to take out three of the Avengers. Four if he didn't know Pepper was just pretending. There were too many civilians around to witness as well. Finally, he snarled and gave Bree a push over to where they were standing. She practically ran to their group, and Natasha pulled Bree behind her protectively, much to her surprise.

"See, Bree, here's where you say 'Took you long enough' or something smart like that," Clint said, with a deadpan look on his face in an attempt to calm her. It worked. She gave him a small, tight smile, but a smile nonetheless. "We're at a stalemate," he said under his breath, turning serious. "We can't go after him without leaving Pepper and Bree, and he can't go after us." The other people in the parking lot were starting to take notice of the Avengers standing outside the mall. Bree even saw one or two with their phones out, recording or taking pictures of what was going on. Natasha shook her head, clearly unhappy with the situation.

"We're attracting attention." Bree saw her eyes light up with an idea. "Got a tracker on one of those arrows?" Clint nodded, and faster than Bree could even blink, he had whipped an arrow out and notched it into his bow. The man was startled, but before he could run, the arrow whizzed into his arm. The man yelled and pulled it out. Unless you were watching very closely, Bree noted, you wouldn't have even seen the small black dot detach itself from the arrow and lodge onto the man's arm. The man took off running, losing himself in the crowds of New York. Pepper jumped into action, calling someone on her phone. A car pulled up shortly, and they all piled in, except Clint.

"I'll tail you guys back, make sure nobody's following us," he said, shutting the backseat door. Pepper quickly explained what was happening to Happy (whom Bree had been introduced to on their way to the mall) and they shot out of the parking lot, leaving confused civilians behind.

* * *

Tony flipped through the videos, pictures, and articles. Already the girls' little outing had made media burst. The Avengers were all gathered in the living room, watching Tony unhappily. Bruce was missing to check Bree's vitals and other health information. Tony pulled up a video, pressing play. Pepper winced as she watched Bree get dragged out by the man, and Bree's reaction to seeing Clint and the group show up. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry.

"They knew," said Steve, watching in disgust. "This person videotaped her being kidnapped and didn't do anything." They watched as the events unfolded, and Tony swiped the video away after it ended. Natasha glanced at the video over the top of her laptop, trying to locate the tracker. A small section of an article popped up as they watched.

 _ **A New Avenger?**_

 _At ValleyView Mall*, a few of the Avengers had a face-off with a man kidnapping a young girl. They appeared to know the girl, and left with her soon after. Is there a new Avenger in the city? *Location has been changed for privacy reasons._

The room was still until Tony faced the group.

"Why did they want her?" Pepper shrugged, turning to Clint as he responded.

"They said that she still had a contract with them." Steve considered this, before shaking his head.

"I'm sure ZoneTech has dozens of people they could replace her with. For some reason, they want Bree." Silence filled the room again.

"There might be something she's not telling us," Vision chimed in, staring at the screen. "Maybe she has something of theirs. Or she just might be smarter than other people there." This didn't seem likely to most of the group, but they didn't say anything. Bree seemed smart for her age, but not off-the-charts smart.

"Well, we need to make sure they don't get that close again. Whatever reason they want her, they can't get her," Clint said, scowling at the screen. "We'll have to teach her to defend herself better though, in case something like this _does_ happen again." The group nodded in agreement, before Pepper excused herself to make dinner. After all the commotion, none of them had gotten to eat at the food court. She vaguely wondered what Bree's favorite food was; maybe it would help? _Well,_ Pepper decided, _Bree was a teenager so pizza might work._ She could hear the video being replayed in the other room, with Tony and Steve trying to figure out who the man was, having Friday run facial recognition among other things. The event had left them all shaken, and left them with uncertainties. Why did they want Bree bad enough to try and kidnap her in public? Pepper sighed, turning on the oven. Whatever the case, the girl was making an impact on some of the team. Pepper had been surprised when Natasha had pulled Bree behind her, seeming very protective of her. Bree had this charm about her that pulled people in. Bree wandered into the kitchen behind Bruce, swinging the door behind her. Bree's eyes lit up when she saw the pizza crust, making Pepper smile. She _was_ a teenager, after all.

* * *

 **(** ** _A/N:_** _Ahh guys I'm sorry it's two days late! I'll just leave it at health issues and not bore you with details. Anyway, today while watching Thor I realized I forgot several characters in my story. (_ _Why do they keep multiplying? I can't keep track of them all!)_ _So anywho, I made a list to make sure I'm not forgetting anyone else: Natasha, Clint, Pepper, Tony, Rhodes, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Vision, T'Challa, Spiderman (_ _does he count? Idk, whatever)_ _, and Thor. Just a heads up, T'Challa and Spiderman most likely won't have a big part in this at all, and Rhodes and Sam not as big as the others, but they will be in the story_ _because that's a lot of people for a hectic soul like me.  
_

 _Also (aren't you guys proud of me? I'm not doing a list! :P ), thanks to the reviewers Moonleaf Stormrunner (hope I took care of that issue in this chapter) and faithkathleen. I love your reviews! They inspire me so much! Thanks to everyone for reading, and make sure to leave a review!_


	8. Opening

Gasping, reaching for air, Bree shot up. Her heart beat faster than she knew it was supposed to, and the room seemed a darker shade of night. Grasping at the blankets, she tried to catch her breath, rubbing the thin material across her thumb to calm herself.

"Just a dream," she said breathlessly. "Just a dream." She laid her head back down on the pillow and sighed, frustrated.

"Miss Chasky," a pleasant female voice said, making Bree jump into the corner of her bed's headboard. "My apologies for scaring you," Friday continued. Bree sighed in relief, recognizing her voice. "Would you like me to play some music to help you go to sleep?" Bree shook her head, then wondered if the AI could "see" that.

"Um, no, I'm okay," she said with groan, heaving herself out of bed. "I have a feeling I won't be able to fall asleep for a while," she muttered, listening to her heart beating wildly. Bree pulled her hair back into a scrunchy as the digital clock blinked _1:02_. The hem of her plaid pajamas shuffled along the floor as she made her way out to the kitchen. She hummed quietly to herself and opened the pantry door, scouring the shelves for a sleep tea or something of the like. She had been living in the Tower for about a week, but didn't really know much about it besides where her room and the main area was. Bree stopped for a moment, shame filling her. She idly wondered if she was supposed to help cook or do chores. She pressed her lips together, and resolved to ask the next day, mentally cringing at the thought. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what they did (she did; in fact, she doubted she would ever be able to repay them), but there was just _so many_ of the Avengers. Even back at her old school, she had been a tad quiet unless she was close to the person (then all her craziness broke out). Bree finally found what she was looking for - a calming tea, perfect- and hesitated. She had never made or drank tea before, but she supposed it couldn't be _that_ hard. Eventually the microwave dinged and she took the cup of water out. Bree looked around for a place to sit. The marble table was too darn _cold_ for 1 AM, and she didn't want to accidently spill anything on the nice (and probably expensive) furniture. Her gaze finally landed on the door that led to a small balcony off to the side. Perfect. She padded over to the door and slid it open, hoping there wasn't some crazy alarm system. When the Tower stayed silent, she slipped through the crack and sat on the cool tile. A warm breeze played with the ends of her hair, tickling her arms. Bree sat criss-crossed and cupped her hands around the mug of tea. She took a sip of the tea. Not too bad; a bit bitter, but hey, if it helped her sleep, it'd be worth it. The city that never slept seemed peaceful, even with the cars and shouts ringing through the night. It was easy to relax out here, let her guard down where no one could see-

"Couldn't sleep?" a voice asked from behind her. Bree spewed the tea out in alarm. "Huh, I thought that only happened in movies." The droll tone made her narrow her eyes and she sent a deadpan look the man's way.

"Obviously not," she said tartly, cheeks flaming. "Why are you up so early?" Bucky shrugged, keeping a fair distance by standing in the doorway.

"It's not something I enjoy," he said simply, fiddling with something in his hands. Bree squinted to make it out, but the dark concealed whatever it was. "What about you?" Bree stared out at the city, watching the flashing lights and taxis speeding away.

"I get nightmares," she admitted, feeling vaguely uncomfortable to admit such a thing. But the man only sighed.

"I think everyone here does." She tilted her head, waiting for an explanation, but nothing came. Bree simply turned back to the skyline, thinking that the untalkative man was done with their conversation.

He wasn't entirely sure why he was talking to the small girl. But it had surprised him to see another person up this early in the morning when he came back in from a walk. After memories had swamped him, he had worn a path around the city, pacing the blocks, until the old voices finally retreated. But now, the only voice was his own, pestering him with _why on earth are you talking to her, you could kill her you idiot._ He stared down at the bulging plastic bag in his hand and saw that Bree was looking out again.

"I think I met you before," he muttered quietly. Her hair whipped back around as she stared at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Bree scooted away from the edge and closer to the door frame to hear him over the city noise.

"Years ago. In the Smithsonian." Brown eyes blinked in surprise and grimaced.

"I-I don't actually remember much of when I was little. I was in a-" She briefly hesitated. If he hadn't been trained so well, he wouldn't have even picked it up. "-an accident, and left a lot fuzzy. I don't doubt it though. I do like museums. I think." She sat quietly for a moment, absorbing the new information. "What makes you think that it was me?" Bucky was silent for a long pause, gathering the scrambling thoughts. The period right after all the events had happened was a bit...fuzzy, as the girl had put it.

"Looked like you, I guess. Just a younger version. A lot more outgoing though. The mom called whoever it was Elle, though," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. It sounded a lot more questionable when he said it out loud. But Bree nodded, looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, that was probably me. Mom couldn't remember my name half the time, and at least from what I remember, she botched it most of the time. Close enough to Brielle, though." He hesitated, hoping she wouldn't ask anything more. He couldn't very well say he had asked a little kid for a _hair tie._ But she left it at that, engulfed in a yawn. "I think I'm going to head to bed, see if I can sleep again," she said, standing. He nodded as she walked past him with a small smile, before an idea came to him.

"Uh, wait." Bree turned and waited patiently for him to speak again as he mulled over the consequences. "Can you take this, and put it in your room? Don't look at it, just hide it somewhere." She looked at the knotted bag he was holding out skeptically, but took it anyway.

"Sure, I guess." Bree gave him one last curious look before dumping her mug in the sink and traipsing into her bedroom. Once the door shut, he gave an amused smile where there was no one to see. This was going to be fun.

As soon as Bree got back to her room, she pressed the power button on the computer. As it booted up, she mulled over the information in her mind, thinking back. She felt oddly lighter now. That had been the most open or outgoing she had been in a while now, and it made her happy. But she had to reign it in and focus. This new information had given her an unshakeable thought. She needed to figure out how much time had passed since she had last left her old school. Maybe it was a control thing, but whatever the case, it suddenly seemed important. _How long had she been stuck at_...Bree swallowed, forcing herself to think the name. _ZoneTech?_ Bree flinched, waiting for the impending panic to swallow her up, but only her heart responded, the rate picking up. Sighing, Bree pulled up a calendar. _It was a bit after school had started, long enough to get into the swing of things,_ Bree remembered, mentally searching for any more clues. She perked up when she remember that the science fair had been the previous week. Bree pulled up a new tab, searching for her old school. A schedule was provided on the homepage and she clicked back, checking the dates. Finally, she found it listed, and her eyes grew wide at the glaring screen that read _September 21- HS Science Fair._ She clicked back to the current date, counting under her breath.

"Nine months," she breathed, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. Being June, she had been at ZoneTech for _nine_ _months_ A shudder ran through her and she quickly jammed a finger on the power button, hoping to avoid any oncoming panic attack. Bree swung out of the rolling chair and curled up on the bed. A frown graced her features as she pulled up the blankets. _I missed Christmas._

* * *

The next morning (or that morning, technically), she awoke to a soft light reaching her eyelids and gentle music playing. Bree groaned, pulling the covers further over her head.

"Miss Chasky, I'm afraid you must get up." Bree's muffled response came from under a bunch of blankets.

"Why?" Bree could detect amusement coming from the AI and she sighed.

"It is time for the morning walk that is scheduled with Captain Rogers." Bree pushed back the blankets, staring at the ceiling dubiously.

"I thought that was just a ploy to get me out of the house," she accused, dreading more walking. Not to mention the lack of sleep.

"I guess not, miss." Bree groaned again and rolled off the bed, falling onto the carpet below.

"Oof," she muttered, sitting up. She quickly got ready and heading out the door, pausing when she spied the tied plastic bag Bucky had given her the night before. Faint shaped could be seen, but not enough to see what was in it. She stared at it, as if it would tell her what was inside (thankfully, it didn't). She eventually shrugged and walked into the kitchen, where she could hear an argument.

"-honestly! If you think that you can get away with this, you're dead wrong. I had to walk over here in my…" Sam Wilson trailed off when he glanced at Bree when she walked in. Bree watched as he struggled to find his place, from where she assumed he had skipped over a colorful word. "...dress shoes. _Dress shoes._ Do you know how weird it looks when you're wearing running gear and shiny black _dress shoes?"_ Bree bit back a giggle as she watched the man rant. Steve crossed over to Bree, handing her a plate of eggs, watching it as well. Bucky stood on the opposite side of the island with his arms crossed, and a blank look on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. Sam scowled at him. Bree finally took advantage of the silence.

"What's going on here?" she asked quietly, swallowing a bite of food. Sam gestured to his feet, where indeed he was wearing polished black dress shoes, fit for a suit or something business-y.

"He has all my tennis shoes," Sam said with pointed glare. Bucky only raised an eyebrow and nodded at Bree.

"She had them," was all he said in response. Bree's eyes widened as she realized exactly what had been in that plastic bag.

"I do," she admitted, giving him a small smile. Steve glanced between the three of them, a knowing look written across his face. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Yes, of course she does. Because the _kid_ was the one who managed to sneak into my house, bypass my new fancy alarm system, and take all my shoes. Why didn't I realize that before?" He huffed and dragged a hand down his face. "Forget this, let's just go. I'll run in these darn shoes if I have to. But you're paying to get them polished the next time I need them."

* * *

"Remember, Bree, plant your feet," Bree copied the motions of Natasha and frowned. Apparently the Avengers all agreed that after their run-in at the mall, Bree needed to be able to defend herself or fight. Clint, Natasha, and Wanda had taken her down to the gym to try and teach her a few moves. Bree mimicked the defensive move the older woman was making and tried to remember all the steps. Once Natasha was satisfied, they led her to a mat.

"Now from here, you'll be sparing Wand. You'll be starting with her, since she's the worst at combat out of all of us-" Natasha started. Wanda huffed.

"Thanks." Clint rolled his eyes and broke in.

"What she meant was that since Wanda does most of the fighting with her mind, she doesn't need to use hand-to-hand combat often." Wanda looked slightly mollified and stepped up to Bree.

"Go ahead," Natasha prodded. Bree uncertainly blocked an offensive move from Wanda, but got tripped up in the next motion. Brown eyes widened in surprise when Bree found herself laying on her back.

"Nice try! Keep it up and you'll be fighting with us in no time," Wanda said encouragingly. Bree rolled her eyes at the blatant lie, knowing that she indeed hadn't been very good.

"Would you look at that? She _does_ have some sass in her!" Bree blushed as Clint grinned.

"The kid has what?" Tony's voice flooded the room and Bree's ears turned pink as Clint grinned at him too.

"Some rebel stuff, man. She rolled her eyes!" There was clapping from Tony and Bree blushed harder, wishing she could take it back or melt into the floor. Wanda smiled sympathetically at Bree.

"Nice job, kid." Tony finally turned his attention to the others. "Once you're done here, it's wheel time." The others nodded and Tony stalked out of the room.

"What's wheel time?" Wanda grinned at her.

"You'll see."

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Hey guys! I hope you'll forgive me for the short filler chapter, but I'm really tired even though I have this thing where I don't like to post chapters under 3,000 words *sigh*. Also, if you find any major issues, let me know. I wrote half of this when I was running on 3 hours of sleep and the other half an hour after I fainted from health issues. So yeah. I know that this is also where time gets wonky, but just...go with it, please. :P Do you like the new cover for the story? The girl is Bree, and the other two pics will be explained through the story soon. ^-^_

 _Great thanks to Moonleaf Stormrunner and vxmpire for the reviews! You guys make my day when I see reviews. Special thanks to Moonleaf Stormrunner for reviewing ever chapter. I can't get across in words how much it means to me. :) I appreciate it so so so much!_


	9. Concentration

Wringing the water out of her hair and wiping her hands on the fluffy robe, Bree gaped at all the clothes that were now hanging up in her (walk-in) closet. She had never owned that many clothes in her life. She stared at them curiously, remembering the shopping trip that had been cut short. Bree was almost positive there had been nowhere near that many clothes in the bag.

"What is all this?" she murmured, turning in a circle. Brown eyes widened when she spotted a note taped to the back of the door. Small, neat writing filled the paper, which Bree could only guess was from Pepper.

 _After our little outing didn't go as planned, Wanda, Natasha and I went to get you some more clothes. Don't feel bad- it's Tony's credit card. Have fun. :) -Pepper_

Bree blushed, hoping that Tony wouldn't get too mad. Pepper didn't seem that worried though, so perhaps she needn't be either. Bree circled the small room again, scanning all the shelves. These people were so nice to her. _Maybe they really do care._

* * *

Bree wandered out of her room and into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered. Her eyes widened at the huge group sitting around. Usually there were a few missing, off to who-knows-where, but this time they were all in attendance. There was even Sam, relaxing and talking with a man that Bree hadn't met yet. Bruce ws over by the island, talking with Pepper. Tony was arguing with Clint and Natasha over something in the open middle ground, with Wanda and Vision occasionally chiming in, but talking to Steve mainly. Bucky was sitting in a chair opposite everybody, simply taking in the scene. Tony spied Bree out of the corner of his eye and cleared his throat.

"Okay, we should all be here. Except Point Break, of course, but I don't really want him involved with this after last time." Bree frowned in confusion, but turned to face him alongside everyone else. Tony pulled something out of the corner and stepped to the side to let everyone see. Bree studied it curiously. It obviously had to be the wheel he had been talking about. It looked like one of those giant raffle wheels where you spin it to get a prize. Each little section had something small written on it that Bree couldn't make out.

"What's going on?" she asked the closest person to her as she sat down on the carpet. Steve sighed.

"Tony's obsessed with his darn wheel. It's for-" He got cut off by Tony clearing his throat.

"Let's do this. This one's for tomorrow night, Monday." He spun the wheel and once it came to a stop, read the small writing out loud. "Alright, for Monday we've got Natasha..." he said, spinning the wheel again. "And me," he finished, looking a bit annoyed. Natasha looked like she was half-amused, half-done.

"Great. This is what I get when we go along with these stupid wheels," she grumbled. Bree watched them, still trying to figure out what was happening.

"Okay, Tuesday is lasagna night, like every week, and that will be Steve, of course. We don't even have to spin for that one." Bree's heart lightened as Tony went on throughout the week. They were cooking, she realized with a grin. Her mind wandered back to a memory forming in her mind of a time when life had been simpler, when there were things you could count on.

 _"Stop it, Benny. You're going to make a mess!" she said giggling. The small toddler gave her a toothy grin and threw another fist full of flour._

 _"Snow!" he yelled happily. She giggled again and grabbed his wrists, pulling him back over to the counter, where she had placed a giant step stool._

 _"C'mon Benny, we've gotta make this and clean up before Momma gets home. If I don't make this, you won't have dinner. And you want dinner, don't you?" He nodded, and went over to sit on the couch, leaving his older sister to do the work. She hummed as she worked, a quiet maturity laced into her actions. Bree was only nine and Benton two, but she already had been left to fend for the both of them for years. Benton sat on the couch, absorbed in playing with his car (a small cardboard box Bree had found). She giggled quietly to herself and snuck up behind him, throwing flour into the air herself. He whirled around and laughed himself, falling to the floor._

"Uh, Bree, you with us?" Bree blinked a few times in surprise before focusing on the speaker. Tony was staring at her expectantly, and she realized the group was waiting for her to say something. She blushed, the tips of her ears warming.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Tony grinned at her and she relaxed.

"I asked if you liked to cook or not. If not, you can join Vision and Rhodes. They're in charge of getting takeout on Thursday." She glanced at the man she hadn't met, putting a name to the face. Bree shook her head.

"No, that's okay. I enjoy cooking, if it's not a problem." Tony shrugged.

"That's cool. You can join Steve, 'cause no offense, but I haven't tasted your cooking yet and I don't trust you to make anything more complicated than lasagna." Bree laughed lightly along with the others, while Pepper lightly smacked his arm.

"That works. Thanks." Bree glanced at a whiteboard that had been brought out while she had been daydreaming. It read Monday: Natasha and Tony, Tuesday (Lasagna Night): Steve, Wednesday: Clint and Pepper, Thursday (takeout): Bruce and Vision, Friday: Wanda and Sam, Saturday: Rhodes and Bucky. She watched as Tony added her name to Tuesday, and frowned. "What do you do for Sunday?" Guilt washed over Bree as she realized that she hadn't helped out the previous week, but Pepper spoke up. "Sunday we all go out to eat. So that'll be tonight." Wanda clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling.

"Ooh! Can we go someplace fancy?" There were a chorus of strong "no!"s in response to her question and Wanda frowned, as did Pepper and Tony.

"You people need to get out more," Tony muttered. A sly smile crossed his face and Natasha held up a hand.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it." Tony rolled his eyes but Bree could still see gears turning in his mind before he shook his head.

"Whatever. I'm feeling some Italian tonight. Anyone else feelin' it?"

* * *

She had been surprised when Natasha and Tony _actually_ pulled off cooking dinner without killing each other. _E_ _ven if they did only make some type of pasta_ , she mused. Bree blinked hard as she cut the onion into small pieces, eyes watering. She sniffed and shook her head, trying to get a stray piece of hair to move out of her way. She could feel Steve's silent amusement at her antics as she hastily wiped the water out of her eyes.

"Stupid onions," she muttered, lower than she thought he could hear. But he chuckled and she gave him a half-smile before dumping the pieces of garlic into their mix. "What's next?" He pushed an egg carton towards her, along with a bowl.

"Two eggs," he said distractedly, already turning back to the oven. Bree frowned. She had never been good at cracking eggs. She dragged everything over to the nearest trash can and gently tapped the shell against the bowl, sighing when it didn't even crack.

"Try number two," she said quietly. Bree stuck her tongue out in concentration, before whacking it against the bowl and throwing the shell into the trash can. Steve stared at her in surprise.

"Did...what..." Bree tilted her head in confusion, frowning at his reaction. She glanced down where his gaze landed and immediately flushed pink.

"Oops. Got excited, I guess." Bree bit her lip, waiting for his reaction. She had completely forgotten to actually put the egg into the bowl in her success of cracking the egg without goop running everywhere. It now oozed out into the trash can as the man started laughing. Sheepish, Bree giggled slightly before trying again, this time actually putting the egg yolk into the bowl. It took a few minutes for his laughter to slow down enough that he could go back to cooking without danger of being burnt or cut. Bree hummed lightly to herself, filling the easy silence.

Steve couldn't get over the look of surprise written on the girl's face when she realized what she had done- priceless. He felt bad for laughing at first, but less so once she joined in.

"Why lasagna?" she asked, reaching for a bottle of tomato paste. Bree frowned when she fell several inches short of the shelf and he chuckled, reaching over and grabbing it for her.

"What do you mean?" he replied as she easily popped the top off and poured out the thick paste.

"I mean, why do you guys have lasagna of all things? It's a bit surprising to find out the supposed Earth's mightiest heroes have a soft spot for a cheesy….thing," she said, gesturing to the mess that was currently lying in a bowl, waiting to be mixed.

"You obviously haven't tasted Steve's lasagna." The new voice made Bree jump, as Clint crossed over to the fridge and grabbed some sugary drink. Steve rolled his eyes as Bree grinned. He set aside a portion of the gooey food into a separate bowl before grabbing the cheeses. Bree looked confused as she watched him.

"What are you doing?" she asked before giggling as Clint took a spoonful of sugar. Steve gave him a pointed look and Clint held up his hands in surrender and left.

"What am I...oh, Bucky's lactose intolerant. He uses some different lactose-free cheese." Bree wrinkled her nose as she took a strand of the cheese and tasted it.

"That's disgusting," she grimaced, and then smiled at her own reaction. He shrugged and handed her the regular cheddar cheese.

"Put this one in the big bowl, then." She sobered, almost seemingly debating about something mentally.

"Thank you," she murmured, staring at the cheese in her hand. Steve frowned.

"For what? The normal cheese? I'm pretty sure everyone is thankful they don't have to use the other one." Bree shook her head, still keeping her eyes on the food they were preparing.

"No, for...letting me stay, I guess. You all didn't have to do any of this, and yet, you did." Bree's file flashed in Steve's mind. "Changed homes twelve times" it had read. It's a wonder she talks to any of us, he thought, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Honestly, it's not a problem. We've enjoyed having you here. If anything, it's been fun to have someone younger around. Reminds us that there's a reason we keep fighting to save this world." She mulled over this before finally meeting his eyes, a soft smile on her face as she nodded. The oven beeped, signaling it was fully heated, as Steve mentally noted something to mention to Natasha later that would help during Bree's training.

* * *

"Sir, would you like me to tell Miss Romanoff and Mr. Barton that dinner is ready?" Steve shook his head as he waited in the elevator.

"I'll do it myself, thanks." The AI only responded with silence as the elevator opened to the training level. He walked through the doors and paused to watch the scene unfolding before him. Natasha and Clint were sparring in absolute silence, missing each other each time. It was quite interesting to watch, until Natasha noticed him standing in the doorway. She raised an eyebrow expectantly before ducking to avoid a punch to the face.

"Dinner's ready," Steve said simply. Natasha nodded and flipped Clint onto the mat. He frowned and groaned as he sat up. Natasha smirked at him.

"You're losing your touch, old man." Clint scowled at her before a touch of amusement broke though.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he muttered, walking over to the bench to take a sip of water.

"So," Natasha started, doing the same as Clint. "What brings you down here? I assume it wasn't just to tell us dinner was ready."

"Oh, yeah. I noticed something that you might want to work on with Bree." Natasha raised an eyebrow as Clint looked at him with interest.

"She's been doing pretty well so far," Clint said. "What'd you notice?" As Steve explained his observation, Natasha looked impressed.

"Interesting," she said. "I'll have to work on that tomorrow and see if that's true." Clint grinned.

"She's turning out to be quite the fighter, isn't she?" he said, a bit smugly. Natasha nodded in agreement. Steve looked at them skeptically.

"Bree? She's so shy and quiet. And tiny." It was true. He wasn't the tallest of the Avengers (Thor held that title), but he positively towered over the small girl. Pretty much everyone did, though. Natasha gave him an amused look.

"It's the small ones you have to watch out for, Captain."

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Hello dear reader(s)! This is a bit of a filler chapter, but necessary from my point of view. It was supposed to be much longer, but it was causing me stress, so I'm just posting what I have so far. I'm slowly getting the hang of writing these guys. Please let me know if anyone is too OOC, feedback is much appreciated._

 _Also, since I'm 80% certain it's literally just Moonleaf Stormrunner and I reading this, I am very very thankful for your reviews! :) They've been the reason I've been hearing "Remi, you've literally been talking about this for 10 minutes. Shut up already," so often. I love reviews! ^-^_

 _In case anyone's curious, I do have a Polyvore account, and there are a bunch of outfits that Pepper and the gang got Bree on there, along with some other outfits of Bree's. Be warned, there are a few spoilers on there, as well as outfits for a few different stories._

 _School started, so updates might be coming in a bit slower (than already). But I do have a study hall, so perhaps I'll work even faster. We'll see._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	10. Old Ties

" _Focus_ , Bree. Jab right, then kick left." Bree sighed in frustration and got into her fighting stance. Natasha seemed to be especially hard on her the next morning, teaching a whole new set of moves that Bree couldn't seem to pick up. She kept stumbling or losing her concentration after a few sequences. She tried to jab on Natasha's right, and flung her leg out on the left in defense. She glanced at Natasha who gave her a small smile . The next part was to go in for...for….

"Agh!" she growled as Natasha easily disrupted her rhythm and had her lying on the mat in a matter of seconds. Natasha smirked and helped the girl back to her feet.

"We're going to try something else. I'm going to go on offensive, and I want you to focus on defending. Try to notice what's coming. And don't look at my face." Bree frowned at the weird orders, but shrugged. As Natasha leapt at her, she twisted out of the way and traded spots in the simple move that had been taught to her. She managed to evade the assassin for a solid three minutes. Bree grinned when she ended up on the mat.

"That was much easier," she admitted, pushing herself up onto her knees. Natasha looked at her thoughtfully, then nodded.

"You were much better that time. We're done for today." Bree stood and followed the woman in grabbing her own water bottle. Natasha tried not to look _too_ amused at the fact that their Captain had been the one to notice their little "problem". And while cooking, no less. Bree didn't even realize what the issue was. Her mind wandered at ways to possibly fix the problem, without training Bree to just not look at the people she was fighting. Because each time she looked at her straight on and maintained eye contact, Bree fumbled and lost her flow. _Was it because she was just shy?_ Natasha glanced at the girl on the elevator, already looking forward to this new challenge.

* * *

"What's wrong, Stark?" A frowning Tony glanced up at Bruce as he entered the lab. A giant screen floated in front of the billionaire.

"Someone's been asking around, trying to locate Bree. First off, it's slightly creepy, and secondly, it's a problem 'cause people know she's living with us, and I doubt that Fury wants her name to be public." Bruce's expression mirrored his as he walked over to the screen himself. There was an email pulled up, asking about Bree (using her first name), as well as a few forums and other things.

"Doesn't she have a brother? It could be him." Tony shook his head.

"Nah, doubt it. Isn't he like, seven, or something? I doubt his email would be cento . Doesn't sound very little-boyish to me." Bruce nodded in agreement.

"Did you run it by Friday yet?" There was pause.

"Yeah, uh, no, not yet, I just got this, but I was just about to. Friday, run this for me?" Bruce hid his amusement at his attempt to save face.

"Right away, sir." There was another moment of silence before the information popped up on the screen. Bruce's frown deepened in suspicion at a picture appeared.

"We'll have to look into this."

* * *

The woman shifted nervously under the gazes of two of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. None of the rest were in attendance, _thank goodness for that_. She could barely handle two of them, let alone...what was it now? Twelve? _Yeah, I'll pass._ Natasha smirked, sensing her nerves from across the table before getting her business face on.

"Right," she said, clasping her hands together. The request to meet Bree had been met with great suspicion and hostility, as to be expected when living with the Avengers themselves.

"T-thank you for agreeing to meet me here," the woman said, swallowing her discomfort. "I just wanted to see her, but I figured you would like to meet me first."

"Indeed," Natasha said back, a cool but polite smile settling on her face. Clint leaned back in his chair next to her, ballcap casting shadows onto his face. Natasha herself wore a hooded jacket, which drew some odd stares outside seeing as it was summer, but the quaint coffee shop they were in was blasting the AC.

"Why don't you start with how you know Bree?" Clint offered, seeing her loss for words.

"Uhm, yes. Well, I was in ZoneTech myself, though for much different reasons. I-I was supposed to be experimented on as punishment for some past crime or something, I truly don't know. Bree got me out alive." The pair of spies shared a small look before turning back to the woman sitting in front of them.

"And your name was?"

* * *

"I don't really want to go, no thanks," Bree said, without glancing up from her game of checkers. Wanda scowled as the girl took another one of the black pieces and moved it to the edge of the game board. "King me."

"C'mon Bree, it'll be fun." She turned and gave Pepper a skeptical look. Wanda gave a small sigh. None of them had succeeded in getting Bree out of Tower since their failed shopping excursion. Both of them had tried to get Bree out and about, grocery shopping, manicures, even just out. But the only time she would leave was early in the morning for her daily walk with Steve, Sam, and Bucky. The rest of the time she spent training, or just doing random things around the Tower. Pepper had briefly talked with Tony about school, and what should be done, but it was agreed upon that since it was summer, that conversation would be held off. _Besides,_ Pepper thought. _We don't even know how long she's going to stay here_. She shook her head, clearing her mind.

"I'm literally about to win this game." Wanda laughed at the girl's deadpan response and made her own move, only to realize that it was a trap. She groaned as Bree managed to take out all of the remaining red pieces, leaving only one left. Vision chuckled at her reaction, as he was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, close enough to hear the conversation. "Where's everyone else?" Bree asked, watching Wanda's move with a small smile. Pepper nearly rolled her eyes at the lame attempt to change the conversation, but went along with it.

"Tony, Bruce, Sam, and Rhodes are up in the lab, doing who-knows-what. Tony had something he was working on he wanted their input on while Rhodes was nearby. And I don't even know what he wanted Sam there for. Natasha and Clint are doing a mission, or something like that. So, are you going to come with? I'm just picking up a book that I ordered from the bookstore." Bree frowned. _Couldn't she get those delivered, or something?_

"Will anyone else be coming with us?" she asked meekly. Pepper fought the urge to hug her. It was obvious she was frightened to go out again.

"I can ask. I'm sure these two would be willing to go," she said, motioning to Vision and Wanda, who nodded reassuringly. "And goodness knows, Steve and Bucky need to get out of the Tower more. It'd really be doing us all a favor." A small smile escaped Bree and she nodded hesitantly.

"Okay, I guess."

* * *

Bree had forgotten how much she loved bookstores. The smell of books mixed with a slight smell of coffee and tea, the rustling of book pages. As for Pepper, she was watching Bree with a smile. As soon as they had gotten out of the car (and _yes_ , it had been amusing to try and cram everyone in there), Bree's face had lit up and the small smile hadn't been wiped away yet. As for the others, Wanda just enjoyed being out and about without being on a mission, and Vision was happy to follow. Steve looked vaguely awkward, but that was nothing compared to the obvious discomfort of Bucky. He looked like he would rather listen to Tony ramble for an hour than be out of the Tower, but he had come, grumbling quietly to Steve the entire way. Bree opened the door gently and stepped inside. Her eyes widening in confusion once she looked around ( _scanning the area_ , Natasha noted a bit proudly) and her gaze came to rest on the red headed assassin and Clint, both sitting at a back table at the mini coffee shop inside. There was a third person there, her back turned to the entrance. Blonde hair fell in ringlets down her back and they wore a pink pencil skirt and striped top. _Definitely not a spy or anything_ , Bree thought. _Far too bright of colors._ Natasha said something to the woman and she turned, eyes dancing. Bree's mouth dropped open.

"Marisol?" she whispered out. The woman rushed over to Bree and hugged her, not noticing Bree's slight flinch.

"Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you! I was worried about you after I left. The whole time after I wished I could have done something, helped you somehow. I saw that article on the news the other day and immediately recognized you! I mean-" Marisol rambled on, seeming to not take a breath. "-out of there, anyway?" Bree stared at her during a moment of silence until Wanda cleared her throat, and Bree shook her head.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked sheepishly. Marisol chuckled, and Bree couldn't help but compare the woman before her to the woman she had seen so many months ago, back on her first day in the lab. This Marisol was confidant, put together, and rather bubbly. The one back at the lab had been frightened, meek, and reserved. _Though,_ Bree supposed, _that's probably the same for me, more or less. Or it will be._

"Don't worry about it, I've been getting some brain fog lately too. I asked how you got out of ZoneTech," Marisol repeated, oblivious to the tension that picked up as soon as she uttered the name. Brown eyes flickered for a moment as she mentally reeled, forcing herself to think through it.

"Uh, these guys came and got me. Not on purpose. I slept through an alarm and...hey. I've never actually gotten you guys' side of the story," she realized, glancing over at the group. Steve cleared his throat.

"Guys, we're starting to attract attention." It was true. Some of the customers were starting to stare at them with confused, skeptical, or amazed expressions.

"Right. Can we get a move on?" Natasha prodded. Marisol nodded, turning back to Bree.

"Yeah, sorry. Anyways, I had to tell you something. Once I left the elevator, there was a lab right at the exit," she said, watching for Bree's reaction. She simply frowned and glanced at Clint.

"We blasted it," he confirmed and she nodded, satisfied. Marisol shook her head.

"No, no. I mean, they were set up there for a reason. Once I stepped out, they quite literally _attacked_ me, and gave me a shot full of something," she said, rolling up her sleeve to her shoulder. A tiny pinprick scar was there, faded to white. "Whatever it was, the scar hasn't gone away. And I got in contact with another one of your old patients - Zachary, his name is- and he confirmed the same thing. We were both injected with something."

"Bree? You doing okay?" Wanda asked. Bree's head was starting to swim, but she nodded. Seeing Marisol again, this new information. There was a strong grip on her shoulder and she jolted, realizing that she had been swaying. She nodded her thanks to Bucky, but he didn't take his hand off, which she was grateful for, seeing that the chances for falling were quite high.

"We should go," he said quietly.

"Of course. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you, Bree." Marisol quickly hugged her and Bree frowned a bit. Marisol's hands were shaking as she smiled at her and stayed behind to talk to Pepper and the others. Steve, Bucky, and Wanda hurried her out to the car, worried about both unwanted attention and the girl who seemed to be flickering in and out of awareness. She could hear them, but everything sounded far away and her vision was unfocused. She sighed, leaning on whoever it was that was helping hold her up and closed her eyes.

"Kid," the person grunted. "We're in a parking lot. You might want to keep your eyes open if you can." She muttered something and shook her head vaguely and the person sighed. "Okay then. Steve? A little help?" The next thing she could remember was lying down in the car on the backseat, the humming motion of the car surrounding her.

"It's okay. You're safe now."

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** _ *covers face* Almost two whole weeks, so sorry guys! I started school, which takes up 8 hours of my day, then I work for 4 hours every other day, and on Saturdays I do an 8 hour work day. It's let me for almost no time for writing. Bleh. Anywho, I'm also working on Bree one-shots to help me kind of understand all the characters better. I'll be posting them under the story Sinopia. So just go to my profile if you're trying to find it, I guess. Also, much thanks to **vxmpire** for the kind review! I absolutely adore reviews and am glad you are enjoying the story.

Also...*rubs hands together evilly* this is where the plot-line actually kinda begins. This chapter, it's literally something so small everyone will most likely miss it ('cept for me, 'cause ya know...I'm the author) but hey! Some action to come. *opens mouth to ramble on then shuts it* I'll just be quiet before I ramble on and talk about the entire plotline. Enjoy! :)


	11. Memories

**_Note:_** _There's a little bit of violence and drunkeness in this scene. You've been warned._

* * *

"No problem, Bruce. We're headed back to the Tower right now." Muffled voices danced in circles around in her head. Bree nestled down into the warmth surrounding her, a small sigh escaping. "Okay. See you in a bit," finished a warm, female voice somewhere in front of her as a beeping noise sounded once.

"What's he think?" asked a voice from her left. Male. She briefly thought that maybe she should be concerned, but it was far too comfortable. After a few seconds she could vaguely distinguish the voices, just enough to realize that she wasn't in immediate danger. Her mind was too foggy to comprehend what they were saying, anyway.

"He says she should fine, just a stress reaction. Although I'm not sure the whole passing-out thing is normal." Same female voice as before.

"Why do you think she reacts so strongly?" Different voice now, immediately to her right. Quieter.

"I don't know. Would size have anything to do with it?" responded the woman. An accented girl's voice spoke up.

"That file you guys found- didn't it say she had memory issues or something like that? Head trauma?"

"Could be. Steve, did it mention what had happened specifically?" There was silence for a moment.

"No. The file just said that there was an accident when she was 9, and that she has vague memories of before that. It said that her memory worked fine after that though. It doesn't seem like she's got any lasting head injuries." The conversation faltered as Bree curled up tighter in the cold air-conditioned car.

"Bree?" came a quiet voice from the front. She muttered something incoherent in reply, and there was a chuckle.

"I don't think she'll be fully waking up anytime soon." The whispered, mechanical humming, combined with the familiar voices floating around, shushed her back into a sleep.

Pepper glanced in the rear view mirror as the girl shuffled around in her sleep. Happy had offered to come and pick them up, but they already had two cars in the parking lot. No need to make it three. Clint, Natasha, and Vision were taking the car that the pair of spies had driven over earlier after Clint had claimed that Tony's wheels be forgotten, he was getting a cheeseburger, dang it. Natasha had rolled her eyes and shared a look with the girls, who all neglected to tell him it was already takeout night. _Better hope Bruce and Vision don't pick burgers_ , she had thought idly. Wanda had claimed shotgun, much to the super-soldiers' _un_ amusement, so now she sat, gaze flickering to where Bree was curled up. The small redhead had seemed to faint while walking out to the car, so they had her laying out with her head on Roger's knees and feet on Bucky's. The obvious discomfort of the two had almost made her feel bad for claiming the passenger seat - _almost_ \- but Wanda shrugged it off. She was certain they had been in worse situations than having to deal with a fainted 16 year old girl. The said girl's mind was peaceful when Wanda had checked once she stirred, seeming to recognize the team and trust them. They finally pulled up to the Avengers Tower, and once gaining clearance from FRIDAY, parked in the garage where Bruce was waiting. It had surprised Pepper to see how relaxed their doctor had been in taking care of Bree. Normally he was very reserved and quiet upon meeting new people, but he seemed relatively talkative to Bree. _Maybe it's because he sees her as more of a patient?_ Pepper wondered as she opened the car door. Steve popped the door open and gently scooped up Bree.

"She's about as small as an eleven year old," he mused as Bruce held open the door to the lobby. The elevator carried them up to the main level, where Tony stood leaning against the counter, tracing something on his phone.

"Oh goodie, you're back. How's the kid?" he said, giving the group a sideways glance.

"Fine, we think. Just overly stressed. Bruce, where do you want me to put her?" The doctor shrugged, motioning to the couch.

"It'd be easiest if we could just lie her on the couch and attach the monitor out here. I still have some work to do and I don't want to do it in the infirm. We need better chairs in there." Steve nodded and lightly placed Bree onto the couch in the living room.

"Hey Wanda, you think you could find Bree's memories? The ones from when she was younger, I mean," Pepper wondered. Wanda shrugged, looking intrigued.

"I could try," she replied, glancing at the sleeping form. "It might be easier to try now, when her thoughts aren't muddled." Bruce gave her a cautious look.

"Just be careful," he said, slipping out of the room. Pepper busied herself in work emails and Wanda nearly rolled her eyes.

"It's Sunday, Pepper. You need a break once in awhile." Pepper sighed teasingly and clicked on the next one.

"I _like_ working, thank you very much," she retorted and this time Wanda actually rolled her eyes and shook her head. Bruce returned with his laptop and set up something around Bree's wrist. Tony plopped down next to him once he sat down in the kitchen, and bothered him about random trivia facts. Wanda turned back to Bree and closed her eyes. Each mind had it's own feel, or flavor so to speak. It was simple to access the immediate memories of the past weeks or so, even several months. It was easy until Wanda hit a block. She frowned in concentration, feeling for a way around it. There was almost a sickly sweet feel to it, a haze surrounding the memories. She pushed harder, cautious of not waking Bree up. A slow trickle seeped out, and Wanda quickly seized it, raising her eyebrows when she spied a familiar face.

" _It would be my honor," she said, giving a small curtsy and a huge grin. The dreaded voice called across the museum, ripping her out of the moment._

" _Elle? C'mon, we're leaving," she said gruffly. Bree scowled, knowing what would happen next. Her mother would rant for hours in a rage, sometimes at Bree, sometimes at her father, sometimes at the both of them, then leave her at the apartment, provided Bree didn't do anything to make her too mad. Sometimes, if she got lucky, the nice old lady next door would leave her lasagna, or even better - mac n' cheese._

" _That's not my name, Momma," Bree said, walking towards her anyway. It was better to just give in before a riot started._

" _Close enough," the mother grumbled, taking her by the arm and dragging her out. Bree glanced back at the haunted man - the one watching her with a mix of confusion and sympathy. He stepped forward, as if to say something or stop the woman, but thought better of it. Bree's heart dropped once the got outside into the crisp spring air and heading toward Bree's least favorite place- the local bar. She sighed and crossed her arms, yanking her wrist out from her mother's grasp and twisting the hair ties down to make up for the one she had just given away._

" _I can't go in there, Momma. I got kicked out last time. And the time before that."  
_ " _Don't sass me," the woman snapped. She thought for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, whatever. Just go back to the apartment." With that, the woman strolled into the bar, leaving a shivering child old behind. She stared for a moment, then sprinted back to the warmth of the museum. Usually her dad would lead her home, showing her the way in case she ever was without him. The security guard didn't notice the tiny child slipping back in (or perhaps he did, and just felt sorry for her) and she scanned the room. But the man from before was gone. She sighed and went to the front desk to ask for a map._

The memory teetered out and Wanda hissed in frustration, though she was pretty proud of how far she had gotten. She mentally made a note to ask Bucky about that later. She tried to make the mental block a little weaker, a small smile growing when it worked.

" _C'mon kids, we're leaving," the booming voice said. Bree cringed, scanning the room, panicked. There were blankets strewn everywhere, and the few meager toys on the floor. Not to mention, the kitchen was a mess, and Benton was curled up on the couch asleep._

" _Momma! Y-you're home early!" the girl squeaked out. The woman rolled her eyes and staggered, pushing off the wall._

" _We're leaving this place. Pack up. Stupid job, stupid rent, stupid kids," the mother muttered, continuing the rant under her breath._

" _What do you mean, we're leaving?" Narrow eyes whirled toward her and Bree quickly wished she hadn't asked._

' _I mean, we're going to stay with a friend for a while. Let's get going, move," the woman prodded. She quickly shook Benny awake and he rubbed his eyes blearily._

" _Wass wrong, Bee?" She shook her head, grabbing his wrist and pulling him off the couch._

" _Momma's home early. We're moving. C'mon, help me pack." The one year old frowned at the instructions, but picked up a few items and tossed them towards his sister. The older girl tossed everything into a cardboard box that had been in the corner. "Good thing we never got rid of the moving boxes from last year. Alright, is that everything?" Bree scanned the room one last time before instructing her brother to stay put. She hurried into her mother's room, where the woman was on the phone._

" _I'ma telling you, they're gonna find me. I'm so overdue on rent, it wouldn't matter soon anyway." There was a pause and Bree knocked on the door frame. Squinted eyes peered back at her, contrasting with the wide innocence of the girl's._

" _We're done," she said simply, gripping the box tighter. The woman nodded and flipped the phone shut._

" _Good girl, Anna." Bree mentally rolled her eyes at the sad attempt at her name. Her father had picked out her name when she was born, and her mother never called her by her real name. Whether in defiance, or just always being drunk, she didn't know. The woman grabbed a bottle from the pile and took a drink, shuddering as she swallowed. "Time to go." The woman hitched a duffel bag over her shoulder, clinking noises coming from inside. Bree grabbed the box and went back to the kitchen, grabbing Benton's hand. Even at eight years old, she knew well enough not to question. 'Six moves in two years' she thought with a sigh._

There was something big coming, Wanda could feel it. Something big, something dark. _The accident, maybe?_ She wondered if she should press harder, try to find it. If she opened her eyes to check on Bree, she could lose concentration. With a sigh, the dug deeper.

" _You need to_ _calm down._ _ **Now.**_ " _Bree winced as the poor boy was grabbed the the shoulder and yanked back to walk beside their mom. They were walking to the grocery store since her mother didn't have fare for a taxi. Benton kept veering off the busy sidewalk into the crowds. It was Bree's fault, really. She had let the woman in blue give Benny his first candy (a pixie stick). Now he was paying the price for the sugary treat that was making him hyper._

" _He had sugar, Mom. It's not his fault." The woman scowled at her._

" _Where did he get sugar? I don't feel you that junk." Bree shook her head._

" _There was a few police officers outside our apartment today, and they offered it to us when we walked out. They were awfully nice," she chimed as Benny nodded. Her arm was twisted as the woman stopped in her tracks, much to the glares of the crowd hurrying past. The woman tightened her grip on the bottle in her other hand._

" _What did you say?" she asked in a steely voice. Bree gulped._

" _A police officer offered Benny and I pixie sticks? I didn't take it, 'cause I do-ow!" she yelled as the woman grabbed her hair._

" _There were police outside the apartment? Did they ask you anything?" Bree nodded the best she could without hurting her scalp any more._

" _Yeah, we stopped to talk for a little while. Asked us our names, who our parents were, which apartment we lived in."_

 _"Why do you look so angry, Momma?" Benny piped up. There was a shout and a crash. Everything went blurry as screams rang out, followed by more yelling. The last thing she saw was Benton's worried face peering at her as she closed her eyes._

"Oh my goodness," Wanda breathed out. A muffled yelp made her open her eyes. Bree was twitching on the couch, visibly affected by the memories being dredged up. Wanda quickly tried to give her the sense of peacefulness back. It must have worked a little, because she sighed and stopped moving. Pepper looked at Wanda expectantly as she got up and stretched.

"Find anything?" With a jolt of surprise, Wanda realized that quite a bit of time had passed. The blinking clock read 6:03 PM on the microwave and the pale sky outside was dimming. Tony and Bruce were no longer at the table, instead their seats taken by Steve and Natasha, who were discussing some mission from a few months ago while she was also playing Uno with Clint. Bucky was reading a book in the chair next to the TV.

"Yeah, I think I did. I'm not sure she'll ever be able to actually remember them normally, but I was able to drag a few up." The crash of a bottle in the memory echoed in her ears. "We're going to have to talk to Tony about drinking around her." Pepper frowned in concern, glancing at the sleeping child who at some point had been covered with a blanket. Wanda shook her head slightly, forcing the memory out and turned to Bucky. "You never told us you had met her before." An almost amused look crossed his face as Steve, Natasha, and Pepper turned toward him in interest.

"So it was her," he mused, shrugging.

"Wait, what?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised. He shrugged again and turned back to his book. Wanda rolled her eyes at the lack of explanation.

"When Bree was like, six, she saw him in the museum and recognized him from the picture in the Captain America exhibit," she explained. An impressed look flitted across Natasha's features.

"Why didn't you mention that when we first picked her up?" Pepper asked, clicking off her phone. Bucky shrugged again (which, Wanda had learned in the past few months, was sorta his answer for most things).

"That time's a little hazy. I wasn't even sure if it was the same kid. I mean, she was even smaller than now, which is saying a lot," he said with almost a smile. Natasha smirked and laid the final card down in their card game. Clint grabbed the cards and scowled as Bruce and Vision walked (er, floated, in Vision's case) out of the chiming elevator.

"We brought burgers and fries!" Bruce announced. Clint nodded in approval as Natasha frowned at him.

"Didn't you have the same takeout for lunch?" Pepper reminded him, amused. Clint glanced at the plastic bag to confirm it was indeed the same place he had eaten at earlier. He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"My dear Pepper. You can _never_ have too many fries."

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Hey guys! This is sorta kinda a filler chapter (kinda), but it's a good look at Bree's past to understand her a bit better. I know I probably took a few liberties in Wanda's powers. Oops. So here's a question for you readers: **would you prefer the shorter, 2,000 word chapters like most of these I've been doing, or the longer chapters around 4,000 words like Chapter 3 was?** I just want to know the preference so I can plan accordingly. OOh! Also, there's going to be some action next chapter. Yay! Thanks to all the favoriters, followers, and reviewers! You guys make my day! Feel free to leave me any ideas, (constructive) criticism, or just reviews. :)  
_


	12. Attack

"It's too cold out for June," Bree muttered under her breath. The windows were wide open, letting the cold air in.

"Hey, go tell Tony. I'm with ya, kid," said Clint, who was looking rather frigid himself while waiting for his waffles to pop out of the toaster. Pepper chuckled at their grumbling and shook her head lightly.

"It's just for a little bit, until we're sure that the chemicals from the lab explosion are all out. But I agree, it is oddly cold for June." She glanced at the thermostat, which read _63º F_. It was a lazy morning in the Tower- or that is, it _had_ been until Tony and Bruce managed to explode half the lab. The two were currently overseeing the fumigation that was being held, along with Vision. Wanda was playing something on her new phone, and the super soldiers were nowhere to be seen. They had walked Bree back to the Tower, and then had taken off. Natasha was currently out as well, but Pepper wasn't worried. She often left with no warnings to go out on missions, only to return a few days with a few scrapes or bumps. Bree shivered and shuffled in her seat at the island counter. Pepper cast a worried glance at her. "Bree, why don't you grab a jacket or something?" Bree blushed and looked down at the book she was reading on the counter.

"Uhm, well…I don't really own one," she mumbled and shame washed through Pepper. Wanda turned the same color as the blushing Bree.

"Oh my goodness, we didn't get you anything warm, did we?" Pepper exclaimed. "Well, let's see, until we can get you some warm clothes, I think Wanda probably is the closest in size." Wanda eagerly shot off the couch and tugged Bree's arm.

"Of course. Let's go to my room and see," she said in her thick accent. Bree beamed briefly at the affection in their voice. She hadn't realized it yet, but her guard was slowly coming down, day by day.

"Where are those two rushing off to?" a grumbling voice asked. Pepper smiled and turned to roll her eyes at Tony.

"Getting something warm for Bree. Poor thing was shivering. You know, from the windows being opened because of a lab explosion." He gave her a prize-winning smile.

"That was most definitely Bree's fault," he stated. She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow, ready to snap back, but Clint beat her to it.

"Bree managed to set off the lab explosion," he deadpanned. Tony shrugged and gave him an innocent look.

"Well, not quite, but she was distracting Bruce and I with questions."

"What is it with me and being all of your scapegoats?" chimed Bree from where the elevator opened. A few moments later she realized what she said and her eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry. No disrespect intended." Clint sent her an easy grin.

"Nah, kid, nice to see you being sassy." Bree blushed (again) and Clint shot a meaningful look at Tony (whatever the heck _that_ meant). It wasn't until Wanda stepped out from behind Bree that they saw what was in the Scarlet Witch's hands.

"Is that a cape?" Tony asked incredulously. Wanda laughed and held it out to Bree.

"No, defiantly not. But it's the smallest thing I have. It was supposed to be for a Halloween costume, but hey, it's warm, no?" Bree took it for her and swung it around her shoulders, the heavy material settling around her shoulders. She pulled the hood up over her wild hair and it nearly engulfed her face. Clint crossed over to them, chuckling and yanking the hood back to where she could see.

"You look exactly like a Little Red Riding Hood," he joked and Bree rolled her eyes in good humor.

"Technically, Little Red Riding Hood has brown hair in the original story," she quipped. Tony shook her head.

"Pepper, we've got a book nerd. I don't know if I can handle another one of those." Pepper gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and a pat on the shoulder before walking over to where the toaster was now smoking.

"Deal with it, Tony. Clint, I believe these are your waffles that are burning?" she said with an amused look. He yelped he launched himself over to Pepper. Bree giggled and Pepper glanced at her fondly before unplugging the toaster and shaking it. It had warmed her heart to see Bree becoming more relaxed in the past few days. The girl had slowly fallen into a daily routine and they were starting to see some of her real personality come out. Pepper had an inkling that if she hadn't been shy before, that had stuck since her "stay" with ZoneTech. Some things don't heal, but it was charming on Bree.

"Tony, aren't you supposed to be helping Bruce with the lab?" Wanda asked curiously and he waved his hand.

"He's got it covered," he said laxly. Pepper opened her mouth to scold him, but a voice cut through.

"Sir, an urgent message coming through from Captain Rogers," FRIDAY informed them, cutting through the lazy air.

"Go ahead," Tony ordered, the humor dropping from his face. A few moments later and a sound wave appeared on the nearest holograph.

"Tony! You there?" came Steve's voice through the screen. There was lots of background noise and it sounded like they were somewhere public.

"Yeah, Cap, what's up?" There was a loud boom over the connection and no speaking for several seconds. Bree looked at the screen with concern, as if Steve could see her.

"We're being targeted by an enemy. Thought it was just one person. We've got several on our tail now. We're trying to get closer to the Tower. Can you bring the team?" Tony nodded and then cleared his throat.

"Of course. Where are we meeting?" There was another loud explosion and Natasha's voice came over the speaker.

"Cap's busy for the moment. Hold on, let me see where we are." They spoke for a minute more while Wanda, Clint, and Vision disappeared to get ready and Pepper ran to get Bruce. Bree stood there uneasily, shifting from side to side. She wanted to help, but had no clue how.

"FRIDAY, alert the rest of the team. We're gonna need them, by the sound of it."

* * *

"Just wear this, okay?" Bree took the vest and slipped it on under her cloak, glaring at the clouds that were threatening to drop rain.

"Is this bulletproof?" she asked dubiously. Clint grinned back at her, though it was a tense smile.

"Extra precautions. You'll be up in the parking lot with Pepper; I doubt you'll even be near the fight. We just don't want you alone in the Tower in case it's a diversion or something." The sounds of fighting were getting louder and closer. Wanda gave Bree a side hug, dropping her arm as Bree flinched and muttered an apology. She was getting better, but they were still working on the whole physical contact thing.

"We'll be back soon," she promised. Sam and Rhodes have joined the group, Sam already down in the streets and Rhodes up with them near the car. Wanda and Vision walked (or floated, in Vision's case) down to meet Sam.

"Just…" Bree faltered, looking at the kind people who had taken her in. "Just be careful." Tony scoffed.

"Of course we'll be careful. Careful is my middle name. C'mon, Rhodey, let's go." With that, Iron Man and War Machine took off and landed down in the middle of the street. They had already taken the precaution of informing the authorities what was about to go down (only the bare minimum) and had cleared the surrounding streets.

"I wish we could get this out of civilian area," Bruce muttered, looking at the surrounding buildings.

"Yeah. At least they evacuated the nearest streets. Closest thing we're gonna get." Bruce nodded his agreement and went to join the Avengers on the streets. Clint sighed and scanned the area for their fellow Avengers. Something caught his eye and Bree followed his gaze.

"What are they doing here?" There was a crowd of people peering out windows of nearby buildings and shops, phones whipped out.

"Idiots who think that their life is worth less than a good video of the Avengers." He rolled his eyes. "Stay safe," he warned the two, giving Pepper a side hug, then leaning down to Bree's level. She didn't look too amused. "If it gets too much for you, get inside the mall. We prefer to have you guys within eyesight but out of line, but it's not worth it if you're going to have a panic attack or something." Bree nodded, filled with warmth. She vaguely recalled Natasha mentioning he had a few kids and wondered if he had experience with anxiety attacks and such. "Oh, and remember, if you're going to talk to us, use our code names. Even if SHIELD's files were released, there's still a bunch of people who haven't been able to decode them. We're hoping the bodies don't either." Bree smiled softly and nodded again as Pepper gently touched her shoulder.

"Let's get to the car." Clint looked at Bree seriously, traces of humor gone.

"I mean it. If you feel an attack coming, get inside. Don't act brave." She gave him a look and he laughed, easing the nerves she had about her friends going into the field. She rationally knew that they did this literally _all_ the time, but she couldn't help but worry. They had helped her. She wanted to help them. Pepper smiled at him reassuringly before glancing toward their safe spot. "See ya soon, Little Red," he said, tugging the hood of her cloak forward so it covered her face. She sputtered an indignant "hey!" and by the time she pulled it off, he was heading down to join the others.

"Let's go, sweetie." Bree blushed at the endearment and glanced down at her red converse. Honestly though, she was warming a bit used to it.; most of the Avengers called her something other than her name. Mostly kiddo, though Pepper was the more loving one of their big group, so she used the more affectionate terms. It was taking some getting used to, after years of the exact opposite. A chilly breeze wrapped around her and she nodded.

"Okay. Can we turn the heater on?" Bree asked hopefully and Pepper chuckled, pulling her car door open. Bree slipped into the passenger side and smiled when Pepper turned the heat way up. "How are you so calm while they're all out there fighting?" she asked, motioning to the group that was splitting into halves. They had a fair vantage point from the parking lot, but there were dozens of other cars surrounding them. It was highly unlikely they would be spotted. Pepper hummed thoughtfully before responding.

"Honestly? I'm not. I just have a lot of experience acting like I'm calm. Besides, they can take care of themselves." It was then that Steve was spotted running down the street, Natasha and Bucky not far behind. Bree could see when their set-up clicked into Roger's mind. Tony, "Rhodey", and Bruce were positioned in the street, facing them head on. Bree couldn't see Clint or Sam, but she assumed they were on a roof nearby. Wanda was hiding in a nearby vacant building, ready to attack from behind when their targets rushed into sight. Vision floated opposite side of her, ready to do the same. Bree's eyes widened as Bruce shifted from human to Hulk once Steve, Natasha, and Bucky got into position in their line of defense.

"Wow," she breathed. Pepper laughed once, a nervous laugh.

"Yeah," she agreed. "There's a reason no one wants to take on all the Avengers at once. These guys have no clue what's about to hit them." Even with the heater on, the cold seemed to seep into the car and her bones and she shuffled, placing her hands under her legs.

"Ugh, this cold," she muttered, trying to distract herself. The first person skittered onto the scene, then ran backwards when he saw the group waiting and yelled something out. He didn't make it very far before a shield hit him in the face and bounced back. Pepper glanced at Bree, who was trying to make herself smaller, whether from cold or fear, she couldn't tell.

"I'm pretty sure all of us agree with you on that one." With a small glance at the fighting going on below them, Bree couldn't help but agree. All looked extremely unhappy to be there, save for Tony and Rhodes, but that was only because she couldn't see under their masks. There was a swarm of men with guns and dressed in all black now, pressing down the street. In the middle of the sea of black, there stood a person dressed in complete blue.

"Pepper-" she started, but Pepper had spotted it as well.

"That's weird," she stated, and glanced upward. "I'm sure S- uh, Falcon or Hawkeye have spotted it by now," she added. Suddenly, the wall broke apart and a gust of huge wind shot out, knocking Sam out from the sky. He quickly regained his balance mid-drop and landed in a roll. The people dressed in black dispersed and rushed the Avengers, scattering in all different directions. The fight was on. Bree looked down, unease and anxiety growing in her stomach. "You okay, Bree?" Pepper asked, noticing the look on her face. Before she could respond, a clunk came from behind the car. Bree jumped and turned, a yelp catching in her throat. There was a man with a gun. And he was aiming it right at them.

"What's this?" he said tauntingly. "The famous Pepper Potts. And the new stray." Bree froze in fear, staring at the gun, a plan forming in her mind. She made sure not to look the man in the eyes, for fear of freezing up in fright. "C'mon, now, out of the car. You'll be the perfect bait." Bree slowly popped the door of the car open and stepped out. Pepper did the same, watching Bree carefully. The wind curled around her ankles as she fought the panic sprouting and the spots clouding her vision. This would _not_ be a good time for a panic attack. Not now. "Easy now. Against the back of the car." They both followed his orders. The man grabbed Bree's arm to tug her along and Natasha's voice ran through her mind. " _Feint left, jab right. Stun him then go for the legs."_ Deep breathe in. She glanced at Pepper, then quickly jolted like she was trying to run. He fell for it as she swung back with her right fist. A shout in surprise in pain came from the man, and Bree swept her leg out, balancing on the other. Within seconds, the man lied on the ground, groaning.

"We're not safe here anymore," Bree said breathlessly, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she looked around for any more attackers. Pepper stared at her in shock, then looked to the man on the ground.

"No. We're not. We need someplace better to hide." With that, they took off running through the parking lot, racing towards the mall behind them.

Except it's never that easy.

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Yay, some action! I apologize for the amount of time it took to get this up. I've been really sick for the past week and a half, and the first version of this chapter...well, I was a little loopy from the medicine. It literally makes no sense. Maybe I'll post it on Sinopia just for a laugh some other time. :) But I'm still sick, just not as much, so let me know if something doesn't make sense.  
_

 _Special thank you to Moonleaf Stormrunner. I appreciate your reviews so much. And guys! I'm at a whole 18 reviews! This makes me so happy, I can't even express it. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who reviews._

 _There was something else, but I forget. Oops._


	13. Moving

"I lost them!" came the urgent voice over the ear-comm and Sam muttered a few choice phrases under his breath. His own little group of baddies he was fighting, Group 2, Steve had called it, were keeping him plenty busy – it was almost insulting. With this da- _dang_ wind (the group was trying to keep it clean around Bree, so might as well practice) blowing him too far off course, he was grounded. Fighting alongside him was Clint, and Rhodes. The voice that had come over the comm was Tony's. He, along with Steve, Bucky, and Natasha, were going after that freaky blue dude that kept shooting wind out of his own hands. Did someone say _weird?_ Fighting Group 3 was supposed to be Wanda, Vision, and Bruce (in full Hulk mode, only if needed).

"Shoulda called for backup," he muttered and Clint snorted.

"What backup? We _are_ backup." Sam had a few choice phrases for him too, but their opposers chose that moment to regroup with some unspoken plan. He sighed as he kicked down yet another dude dressed in black.

"What is it with the black clothing? Like, man, it's like, lunchtime in broad daylight," Clint complained as he shot an arrow at a guy running at him. He went down with a yelp.

"Might I remind you, you were eating breakfast before we left," Rhodes deadpanned and Sam snorted. Clint shrugged.

"It's called _brunch_ , thank you very much."

"Group 1 has fully disappeared. We can't find them anywhere," Steve confirmed, frustration evident in his voice.

"They'll turn up. It's not like they're doing this for fun; they probably have an objective in mind. Wait, scratch that. It might be for fun, who knows with crazy blue people?" Tony quipped.

"It was one person, and they were dressed in blue." Sam could practically hear the eye-roll in Natasha's voice.

"And a horrible shade, at that. It was so bright, my eyes are still recovering." Sam snorted as the next person spoke.

"Group 3 taken care of. We're good on this end," Wanda said. Good. Now just to take care of the remaining thugs here and they could be off to wrap this up in no time.

"Anyone got eyes on Pep and the kid?" That was Tony. His group had taken them on a wild goose chase to a few blocks over. Sam doubted they were even near enough to hear the fighting. Clint took down a guy before glancing back towards where the car was parked.

"They're not there." Sam whirled around, nearly clipping his shoulder on Clint's bow. His stomach dropped when his eyes confirmed what Hawkeye had said.

"They're not there," he echoed. There were two guys left fighting them – surely they could take these guys out fast.

"What?" Wanda shrieked, leaving Sam's ears ringing slightly. Steve's even, calm voice cut through.

"Scarlet, Vision, start looking. Keep your eyes out for Group 1 as well. We're on our way back over now." _Finally,_ Rhodes blasted the last of the guys they were fighting and nodded over at Sam.

"Let's move. Where do we start?" he asked as Clint dropped the arm carrying his bow to his side.

"Start back at the car, maybe?" There was no other suggestion, so Sam headed up towards the car, Clint and Rhodes in tow. The medium-sized SUV sat on one of the parking garage's top floors, with a pretty good view of the street below. Pepper had thought to use one of Tony's most inconspicuous cars to try and avoid detection, but apparently it hadn't worked as well as she thought.

"It's still running," Clint noted, glancing at the heater still blasting warm air towards the seats. Rhodes frowned at the interior of the car.

"They didn't have time to turn it off, then. Something must have happened that made them leave in a hurry." Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"Any chance the Hulk ever make it to this area? I'd high-tail it too." Rhodes shook his head.

"No, Vision and Wanda were keeping tabs on him. They would 'a commed in if that happened. Plus, there's not nearly enough damage for that to be the case." In spite of the situation, Sam snorted, surveying the area. It was true. The street below looked pretty beaten up, a few shops exploded here and there, but it was relatively clean compared to a few of their previous fights.

"Who are you?" came the stern voice from a few cars over. There was a groan, then a sigh. "Who are you? Don't make me ask again." Sam hurriedly ran over to where Clint's voice came from. He was standing in defensive position, arrow aimed straight between a man's eyes. The man lying there definitely was not having a good day. He had a bruise blooming on his neck and his right leg was positioned flat at a crooked angle. Sam frowned at the man as Rhodes appeared over his shoulder. The man glanced between the three of them, before resting on the pointed arrow tip that was aimed straight at him.

"Aim's off," he rasped. "Come on, skilled archer like yourself shouldn't be a few inches off." Clint narrowed his eyes at the man.

"It's off for a _reason._ I, for one, don't particularly enjoy giving people fatal shots, but unless you start telling us what happened, I would be happy to fix that for you." The man stared at him for a second and Sam scowled at him, crossing his arms.

"Fine. My name's Ben Reynolds." Clint raised an eyebrow.

"Go on." The man shrugged, and then winced as pain laced his features.

"What do you wanna know? I was told 'Go attack these guys. It'll be easy!'" He snorted and Clint pressed the arrow closer. "Fine, I'm talking, I'm talking! I was supposed to stay with my attack sector, but a few of us noticed the famous Pepper Potts and a kid sitting in a car a few spots away." Ice laced Sam's veins as the man talked. "Several of us split off to find a way up to them. Guess I got there first." He smirked and Sam nearly lost it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rhodes clenching his fist. He would have bet under that mask was the same disgust and horror echoed on his own face.

"What did you do to them?" Clint asked. His voice was even and controlled, but in a way that screamed danger. Reynolds raised an eyebrow and let out a sarcastic half-laugh.

"What did _I_ do to _them?_ You realize I'm lying here with a broken leg and I'm pretty sure a cracked rib?"

"Are you saying Pepper actually fought you?" The man shook his head then winced.

"No, that little spitfire you guys adopted did it," he spat out. Sam tossed a confused look at Rhodes. Clint didn't seem to react to this, just moved the arrow closer, until it was literally touching the man's shirt collar.

"Where'd they go?" A glance down at the arrow had the man talking quickly.

"I don't know. They mentioned something about moving to a safer place." Clint sighed.

"Alright, here's what's gonna happen. We've got work to do, so the second we're done, we're coming back and picking you up. If I find out you've lied in any way, you will pay the consequences." With that final threat, he lowered the bow and stepped back. Sam leaned in as soon as they were walking away.

"Are you sure about this? I don't think leaving this dude alone is safe." It wasn't that Sam didn't trust Clint – far from it. Clint was maybe the closest to sane beside himself out of all of them. It was just that sometimes his methods were a bit…questionable. And odd.

"Nope. But this should work." He didn't offer any other explanation, so Sam sighed and picked up the pace.

"How far do you think they went?" Rhodes asked, his voice metallic through the suit. Sam glanced out at the parking garage.

"Probably not very far. The wind seems to have died down a little; I could try flying out and-" A loud explosion shook the garage, effectively cutting him off. "What was that?" Clint shook his head.

"No clue. War Machine, you mind flying up and checking it out? The suit probably has more resistance to wind than the wings do. No offense," he added and Sam nodded his agreement. It felt silly at times to call each other their "public" names, but for security, it was necessary.

"No problem," came the reply as Rhodes powered up the suit. As soon as he took off, Clint pressed a hand to his ear.

"Yo, anyone know what that was?" A sigh came over the comm.

"I was hoping that was you," came Steve's tired voice.

"I swear, that's wasn't me," Tony chimed in. Sam rolled his eyes.

"This time," he muttered. Tony didn't even give an indignant response.

"I'm relatively close," Natasha interrupted. "I'll head over, see what it was." Rhodes' voice came through their comms.

"We need as many people over there as possible. The girls are over at the explosion."

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Oh my goodness! It's been five whole weeks! I apologize! Life just got soo crazy very very quickly. But now I am most definitely back. In fact, I decided to make this story my novel for NaNoWriMo, so there will be frequent updates starting November! And I'm really sorry, I know this is the shortest chapter since Chapter 1, but the next will be longer and better. :) Also, hello from two nurses at the hospital who asked what I was doing and wanted to say hello to my followers. :P  
_

 _Last thing: Special thanks to Moonleaf Stormrunner and AleuStark for their amazing reviews! You guys made me very very happy and I love receiving reviews!_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	14. Fighting

Looking back, Pepper could pinpoint the exact moment everything went wrong. It started when they had first begun to move.

"Keep close to the buildings," she advised in a whisper, trying to look inconspicuous. "If we just stroll out into the open, we'll be moving targets." Bree pursed her lips in concentration.

"Wouldn't that be easier, though? Sam or – uh, Falcon or Cap could easily spot us." They edged along a mom-and-pop boutique, distracting Pepper momentarily.

"Well, it might but we'd also be- oh, that's cute. We'll have to come back. Looks like they might have your size." Bree grinned in amusement and Pepper blushed. "Another time. Let's slip in here, hide until it's over." Bree nodded and slipped in the door, Pepper following quickly after. Bree wormed her way between clothes racks.

"Come on, we'll be out of sight. You can see through the glass." Pepper nodded, a little proud of Natasha for teaching her well, and of Bree, for remembering things like that. She knelt down in the clothes next to Bree and leaned back against the wall.

"How are you, Bree? I haven't really gotten a chance to sit down and talk to you lately. And we've got plenty of time to kill now." Bree made a face at the "time" part and then sighed.

"It's been a lot to take in," she admitted. "I mean, I went from it just being Benny and myself, to practically being alone, and now there's…so many of you." She smiled softly. "It's a nice change, though. Just overwhelming." Pepper chuckled.

"This isn't even all of us. There's a few more you haven't met, though I'm sure you will in time." Bree's eyes widened.

"Wow, I-" A figure darted across the glass storefront and Bree instantly went quiet. Pepper held her breath for minutes until the figure had not appeared again. "Do you think they saw us?" the girl whispered quietly. Pepper desperately wanted to say, "No, of course not," but she couldn't.

"There's a possibility. They were moving fast, though. It could have just been a civilian looking for shelter like us." Bree's face grew concerned.

"Oh. Maybe we should check, make sure that-" Pepper cut her off before she could finish.

"There's no way we're doing that. We don't know at all if it was a civilian. It could have been one of our guys; it could have been one of theirs. You can't go out there, Bree." Either her tone or simple fright was enough to discourage Bree as she nodded and slumped back against the wall. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. The store went black and Pepper couldn't see, she could only hear glass shattering and earth moving.

"Pepper?" came the panicked call through the darkness. Pepper took a deep breath, swallowing her own panic. She had to be strong, or else it would freak Bree out entirely.

"I'm right here," she called back in a shaky voice.

"What was that?" Bree asked, and Pepper reached to feel for the wall, before realizing she was trapped. She could feel the crumbling, gritty walls that had collapsed around her, effectively trapping herself.

"I don't know, Bree. Some kind of explosion. Are you near me?" Bree cleared her throat.

"Uhm, no, I'm on the other side of the walls. They've collapsed inward, Pepper. And they're far too big for me to lift. I mean, I can try, but it's gonna take-" Pepper shook her head before remembering Bree couldn't see it.

"No, I'm not hurt, I don't think. We can just wait until the group gets done, and then I'm sure they'll be able to lift it in seconds." There was no response, only a frightened squeak. "Bree?" she asked hesitantly. There was no reply. "Bree? You there?" Vague shouts coming from outside filled the air. Acid rose in her throat when she realized what was happening. There was someone out there. And Bree was fighting them.

When the woman had first materialized, Bree had nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Enjoying my little present, hmm? I do love a good explosion," she purred. The woman had jet black hair tied up, and wore all black, like the rest of the army the Avengers were facing. Bree tried to keep from shaking too noticeably, but it was in vain. "Oh no, did I scare the Avengers' new pet? Sorry," she shrugged and Bree took a hesitant unconscious step back, nearly tripping over the rubble but stabilizing herself just in time.

"I-I'm not their pet." The woman nodded mockingly.

"Sure you aren't sweetheart. I mean, just because you're too small and too inexperienced and don't know how to fight doesn't make you utterly useless." With a sinking feeling, Bree realized she was right. She _was_ small, smaller than any superhero, in real life or in the TV shows and comics Benny used to love to stare at in the windows. She sighed, lost in thought for a second. The woman decided to take a step forward; that was when she made her mistake. The position this woman had gotten into was vulnerable, something no well-trained soldier or fighter would do. Even _Bree_ knew that, and she was still a beginner.

"You're new," Bree whispered. The woman visibly flinched back slightly but kept her mocking smile on.

"What was that, little girl? You're going to have to speak up." The gears started turning in Bree's head. She could outwit this person. Natasha hadn't taught her much yet, but enough to get by with defending herself.

"You're new," Bree stated again, this time with forced confidence. "You know you can't win this. I've been trained by these guys, and they wouldn't teach me to lose." The woman narrowed her eyes, trying to detect the reasoning for the sudden change in spirit, but Bree stood her ground. Something shiny caught her eye, right behind the woman. It was a long metal rod, sticking up out of the rubble in the front of the store. It appeared to have been holding up a support beam for the door, or something of the like. Bree smiled. Now, she had a plan.

"You're bluffing," the lady said, but it was obvious she was becoming a little shaky herself. Instead of responding, Bree just gave her a smile and feinted to the right. The woman obviously wasn't expecting that as she stuttered and grabbed in that direction. Bree sprang into a dive and whizzed past her, grabbing the metal pole. It was taller than she expected, about her own height. Bree miscalculated, though and ended up skidding out onto the street. The shattered glass tore into her legs and hands and she gasped. The woman sprung into the street after her, clambering past the wreckage. Bree's heart was pounding so loud so though it might burst, but she ran into the road to get away. She looked over her shoulder- the woman was about ten feet away. Bree's foot hit something hard and she tumbled over, bracing herself for the impact of the cement. The metal rod in her hand clattered to the black as she came face-to-face with the asphalt. Footsteps ran up behind her, huffing and puffing. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Bree grabbed the rod and swung it with all her might. The end hit the woman right on the temple of her head as she gasped and fell over. A whirring sound came from behind and Bree whipped the pole back around before it met something else with a solid clang.

"Whoa there, kid. Just me." Bree nearly fainted with relief. Never had she ben happier to see Rhodes in all the time she had ever spent at the Tower.

"Sorry," she breathed with a soft smile. Rhodes looked at the woman collapsed on the ground. She wasn't moving. Rhodes popped his mask open.

"Did you do that?" he asked, and she bit her lip and nodded slowly, all her old fears rushing back to her. She was going to get in trouble. She had messed up already and they were finally done with her and –

"Nice job." Huh? He gave her an earnest smile. "Natasha's gonna be proud." Bree couldn't help the blush that spread over her cheeks and Rhodes chuckled. "Everyone's on their way over. We got all of 'em locked up and put away- well, except for a few," he amended. Bree furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but he waved his hand. "Clint will tell you about it." Bree laughed in relief and he gave her a smile tinged with an odd look, but she felt much better. "Where's Pepper?" Oh. That sobered her up real quickly.

"Oh, Rhodes, you've gotta help. The shop we were in collapsed and trapped her in there! I'm not strong enough to move the wreckage." Rhodes immediately put a hand to his ear.

"Yo, guys, we've got an issue. Pepper's trapped under some wreckage….Yep. Mhmm. Okay." He turned back to Bree. "Everyone should be here soon, except Vision and Natasha. They're going to look for the Hulk." True to his word, soon enough, the forms of Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Tony appeared. Tony rushed over to where Bree and Rhodes were standing.

"Where is she?" he asked frantically. Bree pointed over to where the building was and all of them rushed over. Wanda using her powers, along with the combined efforts of two super soldiers and two men in metal suits were able to lift the rubble enough for Tony to guide Pepper out. She blinked a few times before being crushed by a hug from Tony.

"Don't do that to me. C'mon, I don't want to find another CEO," he said, blinking. Pepper snorted and returned the hug. Bree turned back and fiddled with the metal rod she had slipped through her belt loop.

"Well, I heard you fought a few people today." Bree jumped and turned to find herself wrapped in a hug. She grinned and nodded after being let out of the embrace, looking down.

"Yeah. Sorry." Clint looked at her in surprise and disbelief.

"What are you sorry for? That's _awesome._ I'm proud of you, kid." He ruffled her hair and went over to stand by Tony, apparently needing to discuss some "after-battle food". Soon enough, their entire group was gathered over by the building, talking jovially and joking with each other. Bree stayed on the fringe until Natasha pulled her into the loose circle they had formed to congratulate her on "doing a job well done", as she put it. Pepper stood off to the edge as well, eyes shut, with Tony standing next to her, talking quietly. Her hands were pressed to her temples, like she had a headache. Her stomach growled loudly, effectively distracting her attention.

"I think Bree has the right idea here, Let's get some food." Cheers came at this announcement and they started walking. Pepper and Tony still hadn't moved, so Bree walked over to them.

"How are you feeling?" Bree asked quietly, yet Pepper still winced.

"I'm doing okay," she whispered unconvincingly. She cracked open one eyes and looked around. "Why's it still so dark? You weren't fighting all day, were you?" Tony stared at his girlfriend, worry lacing the look.

"Pepper," he started, "it's broad daylight. It's bright out." Surprise turned to panic as Pepper took this in.

"Oh no," she whispered. "I can't see!"

* * *

 _ **(A/N:**_ _Happy NaNoWriMo! I am hard at work writing Red and am trying to play catch-up. How was everyone's Halloween? I'm such a nerd (and I forgot to get a costume until the day of), so I actually passed out candy as Bree XD. What did you guys think of this chapter?_

 _Special thanks to **AleuStark,** **Signerz** **,** and **Moonleaf Stormrunner**. Your reviews make me so happy and mean so much to me! Thank y'all so much! _


	15. Comfort

The plans for any food were canceled immediately, and Pepper was rushed to a hospital. Wanda offered to take her since her fighting apparel was the most civilian looking of all over them. Happy, Tony's chauffeur of sorts, met the rest of them at the closest place possible with all the wreckage. Bree slumped against the wall of the car, exhausted.

"I didn't even do much," she mumbled and Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"You did a lot, considering what little experience you've had, if any." She paused for a moment as if thinking, and swallowed. "I'm proud of you," she murmured. The fiery woman turned away to talk to Clint and Bree blinked. She was pretty sure from the little time she had spent with the Avengers that complements did not come easy from the Black Widow. Clint caught her eye and winked at her, as if confirming her thoughts. The car was mostly silent, except for a few tired and hushed conversations. Steve and Bucky were among the few talking; both looking tired but definitely not the most beat-up. Sam was already asleep, leaning against Vision, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Tony was up front in the passenger seat, attempting to have a conversation with Rhodes, but kept drifting off mid-sentence. Bruce was completely tuckered out in the back, oblivious to the world.

"Sir? Miss Maximoff would like me to relay a message. She says that they have safely arrived at the hospital and that Ms. Potts is currently seeing a doctor as we speak." The relief exuding from Tony was almost palpable, though the tension was still there.

"Do they know what's wrong with her, yet?" There was a moment of silence before FRIDAY replied with Wanda's message.

"No news yet," FRIDAY announced. "But Miss Maximoff will alert you the second she finds out." It was then Clint turned to the group and roused himself from sleep enough to speak up.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm still so hungry I could eat an entire McDonalds out of business. Anyone else feeling me?" There was a chorus of agreement and thus began the most amusing argument Bree had ever seen- _second most amusing_ , she amended. The first was definitely the whole "right-shoe" argument between Sam and Bucky.

"Clint, there is absolutely no way we are going to a McDonalds. Have you ever looked up what ingredients are in those nuggets?" Natasha asked incredulously.

"No, and I don't ever intend to. Let me eat in peace."

"Fine, I'll let you eat your antifreeze chicken, then."

"How about Chipotle?" Sam suggested.

"Oh no, don't get me started-" By the end of the whole hoopla, Bree was aware why they split cooking the way that they did. Natasha leaned over and whispered to her with an amused look.

"We can fight off aliens no problem, but it's the food that gets us every time." Bree cracked a smile despite her exhaustion. An electronic voice cut through the loud voices.

"Sir, I have more news." The entire car fell silent. "The doctor reports that a fine layer of wreckage had coated the-". FRIDAY went on into some scientific wording that Bree didn't catch a single bit of, besides "eye". Nobody (awake) besides Tony and Vision seemed to catch it either, so she wasn't too worried about that part. Bree watched Tony's face anxiously for a reaction, but he seemed stone-faced until the end, when he let out a long breath. The small seconds seemed to stretch into an hour. Even though Bree hadn't known Pepper for very long, she had always treated her so kindly and lovingly. Vision kept quiet about whatever news he had just received. The silence was devastating for a second, and then finally Tony spoke.

"She'll be okay," was all he said and Bree cheered. The weight in the atmosphere was palpably lifted and the atmosphere. "She's just temporarily blinded for a short while," he continued, "She'll have to keep a cover over her eyes for a few days, but other than that it, should be completely healed."

"Cheers to that!" Clint quipped and raised an imaginary glass.

"Here, here," Rhodes said dryly, in his own relieved way.

"When will she be coming back home?" Steve asked.

"Tonight. They're giving her a kit with drops she'll have to put in her eyes but she should be fine at home." Bree's heart lifted at the news.

"And sir?" FRIDAY was silent for a moment to gain the attention of every one of all. "Ms. Potts says to just go with Chinese food." The smirk was almost palpable in FRIDAY's voice. Clint snorted and shrugged.

"Well, I guess Chinese it is, then."

* * *

"Hello, may I take your order?" Happy glanced down at the list he had written on his phone.

"Hi, um, yes, we'll have three entrees of the orange chicken, five of the spicy chicken, two shrimp, eight boxes of chow mien, four of friend rice, and eleven spring rolls, please." There was a moment on the other end as the woman on the other end of the speaker stuttered for a second, then collected herself.

"Of course, sir, that'll be $103. I'll see you at the window." Bree bounced in her seat a little eagerly. She was starving. The car other in front of them pulled up and away, so Happy drove the car up.

"Alright, here's you chicken, shrimp, chow…" The cheerful blonde employee trailed off when she saw who was sitting next to Happy. She shook her head slightly and continued. "Um, chow mien, rice, and spring rolls." Her eyes shot wildly to the back of the car, spotting the rest of them. Clint leaned over to Bree.

"Three…two…one," he counted down. The employee took a deep breath.

"Um, okay, I promised myself I wouldn't say anything but this is literally so. Cool. Can I get a picture with you guys?" she asked, her voice rising excitedly. There were a few eye rolls in the back where she couldn't see, but Tony nodded good-naturedly.

"Sure. In fact, hold on a minute, and we'll come in the store to pose with you."

"Tony!" Natasha hissed. "We will do no such thing." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Oh please. It's one photo. It couldn't hurt." Natasha stayed silent as the employee started looking nervous about the argument occurring. "Alright," Tony amended. "A few of us will come in and pose with you." The employee nodded with excitement as Happy handed her the money owed. He pulled the car around to a vacant parking spot and stopped. "Alright, who's getting out to make these restaurant employees' day?" Natasha shook her head in a firm 'no'. Steve shrugged.

"I guess I will." Sam sighed in response.

"I'll go too." Bucky declined, as did Vision, Rhodes ("I'm too tired to get up") and Bruce.

"Bree? You coming?" She thought for a moment and nodded.

"Someone's got to take the picture." The remaining group of Tony, Steve, Clint, Sam, and Bree got out of the car. People on the street paused and ogled at their group, whipping out cell phones and cameras. The bell jingled once they entered and a spicy smell permeated the air. "Gosh, I'm hungry," Bree muttered and Sam nodded in agreement. The employee looked up and her eyes widened marginally larger.

"Oh my gosh. You guys actually came in. Holy-" She took a deep breath and a sparkling smile appeared on her face. "I'm sorry, I'm freaking out on you. My name's Casia, by the way." Steve reached over the counter and shook her hand.

"Pleasure's all ours, Miss Casia." The restaurant was at a complete standstill watching the exchange, minus the sizzling pans and the humming cooks in the back, oblivious to the world. Casia pulled out her phone to take a picture with them and Bree shuffled over to her.

"Here, I can take it the photo." Casia shook her head vehemently.

"No way! I want a picture with Red in it!" Bree looked at her in confusion, the same expression mirrored in the other Avengers' faces. "I'll probably be the first one ever."

"Wait, wait. What are you talking about?" Bree asked slowly. Casia blinked and looked at the others.

"This is Red, right?" She was met with blank stares and a smug look from Tony. Apparently, Bree wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Tony, why do you look so amused proud of yourself?" He shrugged, a causal smile playing on his face attempting nonchalance.

"I'll tell you later," he assured them. "Let's just take the picture. You get in there too, kid. We'll have another person take it." He quickly snagged a customer waiting in line to take their picture.

"Smile!" they called and Bree gave a beaming smile, which turned into a blush of embarrassment when her stomach growled loudly. The man handed the phone back to Casia, who looked ready to faint with excitement.

"May I have a picture too?" asked a little boy, bounding up to their group. The mother trailed after with a phone in hand one and a baby girl in the other.

"Sure," Steve answered with a shrug at the rest of them. Bree blinked uncertainly, unused to all the attention. She attempted to go sit down, to let the kid take a picture with the Avengers.

"Oh, miss, can't you be in the picture too?" the mother pleaded. Growing more confused internally, Bree agreed with a smile. Pretty soon, the whole restaurant was asking for a picture with the Avengers (plus Bree). It was after the fifth one that Tony had an idea.

"Hey guys, alright, let's go outside. Trust me, let's go." The whole crowd exited the restaurant fast food hesitantly. Tony walked over to their car and poked his head in. Soon, Vision begrudgingly emerged and took Tony's phone.

"What's he doing?" Bree asked Clint. He shrugged in response.

"Who knows? It's Tony." Vision flew up a few feet and Tony gaze the crowd a dazzling smile.

"Alright, smile at the camera!" The crowd was definitely gaining attention now. Steve was glancing uneasily at the people staring and even Clint seemed to be a little on edge. The people they had fought had gone into hiding, after all. Vision quickly took a picture and handed it the phone back to Tony, who frowned and opened his mouth, then just shut it. "Alright, I'll have someone send this out later, just give me your names." The crowd huddled around Tony and Bree started back to the car with the rest of them. Someone rammed into her from the side and she stumbling, tripping onto the asphalt. The person stopped and offered a hand.

"Oh, I-I'm really sorry," the person stuttered out. Bree shrugged and accepting the help up.

"It's fine," she assured him. He looked about her age, with jet-black hair spiked down. He glanced nervously at her, then the rest of the Avengers behind her.

"I'll just be going then." He turned and nearly ran away, stumbling over his own feet. Bree frowned, studying the boy as he left. There was something off about him, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Dude, let's go home! I'm hungry!" Sam yelled to Tony, who was still socializing. Tony glanced at their group, waiting anxiously for him to join them.

"Alright, my team awaits." He detached himself and wormed his way to their car, getting in the passenger seat.

"Finally," Bucky grumbled under his breath to Steve. Steve nodded his agreement and Bree mentally agreed. The ride back was short (either because of low traffic or Happy was afraid to have hungry superheroes in the back). They all were relieved to get out of the car. Bucky and Steve carried the meals up the elevator and set them out on the counter.

"After this, why don't we bring some to Pepper and Wanda?" Bruce suggested, and Tony quickly agreed.

"Great idea. FRIDAY, would you let them know that-actually, no. We'll surprise them." Bree grabbed a package of rice and scooped t out onto her plate.

"Sir, I have an update on the video status," FRIDAY spoke as the rest of the Avengers grabbed their own food. Tony looked up from his food (spicy chicken) and nodded.

"Continue, then." A whirring noise occurred and FRIDAY spoke again.

"The Avengers video released today is trending in most watched video for the year, at one hundred and two million views within one day. The second most watched video titled Red has one hundred million views." Bree glanced up at the rest of the group curiously.

"What's this all about, Tony?" Steve asked tiredly. Before he could answer, Sam flicked open his lock screen and clicked the news. He spun it around for the rest of the table to see. The video, labeled at the bottom "Avengers Battle" showed the all of them. Someone had shakily videotaped Steve fighting off swarms of people, Rhodes, Sam, and Clint taking down a few, the Hulk roaring through the streets, and even some of Bree's fight. Her eyes widened when she saw a clip of her fighting in the rubble. The number of likes was skyrocketing.

"Are people really that interested in this stuff?" Nods across the table confirmed it.

"What was the second video?" asked Bruce. Tony already had it pulled up on his phone and turned the volume all the way up. It was a fuzzy and faded video. Bree squinted to make out the words.

"-mean it. If you…attack coming, get inside. Don't…brave." The audio was hard to hear, but Bree recognized the footage. Onscreen was herself talking to Clint and Pepper. On the video, Clint laughed and yanked her hood down. "See…soon, little Red." The clip was angled down at them, and you could clearly see all of them.

"Le…go, sweetie." That was Pepper talking. The video showed the group parting ways and faded out.

"Is that from a security camera in the parking garage?" Sam asked incredulously. Tony nodded and Sam scoffed. "The lengths people will go to," he muttered. The video changed into someone videotaping the time Bree was outside the damaged store, fighting off the woman. Steve frowned, as did a few of the other members.

"Someone was close enough to video tape it and didn't try to help?" he asked, a little aghast. Bucky shook his head and muttered something that Bree didn't quite catch (though judging Clint's expression she didn't want to). The video went to with her laughing with the group after the battle. Once again, someone was videotaping from their phone. It showed Bree saying something (there was no audio, but Bree recognized herself apologizing for fighting) and Clint scoffing and messing up her hair and pulling her into the circle they had created. The video finished with the words, "Welcome, new Avenger Red!" Bree blinked several times in confusion.

"They think I'm a superhero?" she whispered. The silence in the room seemed to stretch for hours as they searched for a response.

"'Guess so," Clint finally said. Bree stuttered mentally for words, before just deciding on something simple.

"Oh," was all she said. Sam eased some of the tension by standing up and grabbing his empty plate.

"Tony, did you want to bring some of the food to Pepper and Wanda? I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Hospital food is horrible, man." Tony quickly agreed and gathered up some of the leftovers.

"We'll be in charge of doing dishes tonight," Bucky offered quietly and Sam stared him down.

"There _are_ no dishes to do tonight. We used paper plates." Bucky just shrugged.

"I offered." Sam rolled his eyes and muttered something including "super-soldier" but the rest was too low for Bree to pick up. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the lack of response to the video. A tiny part of her was hoping they would accept her onto the team with open arms. Rationally, Bree knew that it was highly unlikely and not very practical; she had little training compared to the rest of them. Bust still, she had hoped.

"I'll come with you guys. I want to see how Pepper's doing," she quipped, grabbing the leftover box of fried rice, pushing the disappointment down.

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Hey, guys! Sorry for the über long wait, I was on vacation and then got too sick to write. But I hope this longer chapter (second longest of the entire story!) makes up for it! As I said, I'm doing NaNoWriMo, so the updates should be coming faster! _

_Special thanks to **AleuStark, Moonleaf Stormrunner,** and **Marie** for their reviews! I love getting reviews and y'all make me so happy! :) Let me know what you think of this chapter! _

_Happy Thanksgiving to all!_


	16. Update and Health Issues (Sorry!)

_**Hello, everyone! I wanted to update you guys on why it's taking so long to get the next chapter up.**_ ( I know, booooo this isn't an actual chapter! :/ )

First off, I'd like to thank **Marie, SunSetOfAnotherWorld, AleuStark, artemis7448, Moonleaf Stormrunner,** and the **Guest** who all reviewed! You guys make me so happy! Thank you so much! _You_ are what makes writing this so fun!

To the **Guest:** I'm very sorry you feel that way. Can you specify certain places where you feel the random facts/situations are, as well as the grammar errors? I want to make Red the best it can be, and it saddens me that you feel that way. Please let me know!

 **Alright, here's the actual update.**

Most of you probably have figured out that _something_ is wrong, as I have referenced doctors appointments, being sick, and being in the hospital a few times. I have a chronic disease that robs me of my...well, life. It's extremely hard to function most days. In the past two weeks, things have taken a downward spiral. I will reread a sentence 5 times and still have no clue what it says. I cannot write as often as I want to because of this (it's actually taken me 20 minutes to write to this short point!). I am working on Red in short, 5 minute increments a day or as much as I can possibly bear. The computer light messes with my headaches, so trust me, I am working as diligently as possible! Surprisingly, I got more writing done while waiting in the ER last night than I have in the past week.

if you want to read more of my writing that _isn't_ Red, I wrote this One-Shot over Thanksgiving break! It's about Sam trying to get everyone to have an actual Thanksgiving meal together post- Civil War. It's not letting me copy and paste the link, so you'll need to go to my profile and find **_An Avengers Thanksgiving._**

You guys are what give me strength to keep writing. You are all so amazing and wonderful, hugs to each of you. The next chapter will be up as soon as I can write (well). :) *hugs*

 **~FireflyUpInTheSky**


	17. Welcome Back

When they got there, a stunned nurse directed their tiny group to Pepper's room. Peeking in first to make sure she was awake, Tony announced his arrival.

"We come bearing gifts!" he cried out and Pepper smiled at his voice. Bandages were across her eyes to keep her from opening them for the time being and a wrap held them in place.

"What kind of gifts?" she asked with a laugh in her voice. Bree waved to Wanda and went to stand over by her, offering the rice box up.

"Thank you, Bree. This hospital food is defiantly not very good!" Wanda laughed and took a fork as well.

"Oh, Bree, you're here too?" Pepper asked. Bree nodded, then flushed with embarrassment when she realized that Pepper couldn't see her (oops).

"Yeah, it's Tony, Sam, and myself," she answered after clearing her throat.

"We brought Chinese food," Sam added, handing the bag over to Tony, who guided Pepper's hand over to the box. Pepper smirked.

"So you did end up getting Chinese food, then?" Tony rolled his eyes begrudgingly.

"Yes, yes, we took your advice. Don't it go to your head," he said jokingly. Pepper pursed her lips.

"I'll try not to," she answered dryly. A doctor came in and looked around, surprised at the people in the room.

"Hello, Ms. Potts, Ms. Maximoff. Mr. Stark and company. I just came to let you know that after we put the last round of antibiotics in your eyes, you're free to go home. I'll give Mr. Stark here the instructions and kit to keep putting in your eyes. You should be able to leave with this group here." Pepper smiled gratefully.

"Thank you so much, Doctor. I'm truly grateful." The doctor nodded firmly.

"I'll go get the drops and the kit." He slipped out as Sam handed Wanda some of the chicken.

"So have you just been hanging out here?" he asked her. She nodded.

"I've been reading on the StarkPad that Tony gave me. There are a lot of free books I have yet to have read that I downloaded ages ago," she explained. Sam nodded and they started talking about the different books. Bree hadn't read any of the books they were talking about. Tony and Pepper were wrapped in their own little world, talking. Bree shifted uncomfortably, feeling like the odd one out. The doctor came back in soon and everyone ceased their speaking. She hadn't read any of the books they were talking about.

"Alright, Ms. Potts, time for you to have your last drops. Mr. Stark, please watch carefully. You'll have to do this once you all go home. If the rest of you could wait in the hallway, that would be greatly appreciated. Bree glanced at the rest of them and walked out of the room, sparing one last glance at the couple. Tony was watching Pepper's face so intently and she had was a little smile on her face.

"So what is with the videos going around?" Wanda asked. "I have seen them replayed over and over again on the news." Bree felt the swirling disappointment again but she feigned nonchalance and shrugged.

"It was just a mistake, for the one video," she said, trying to keep her face casual. Of course it wasn't rational to hope that she would be included on the team. So why did she keep doing it anyway? Wanda nodded, sympathy in her eyes.

"I see," she said carefully. Bree looked down at her shoes in embarrassment for the awkwardness and, after making sure Bree wasn't watching, Sam winked at Wanda. A sly smile slid across her face and she nodded.

"All set," said Tony, coming out of Pepper's room, guiding Pepper out the door. The doctor kept pace with them, holding a plastic bag. He handed it to Sam, who took it carefully.

"Just follow what's in the book, and we should be good. I'll see you in a week, Ms. Potts." Bree nodded in goodbye to the doctor as the group walked out to the car.

"We're back!" Wanda cried out as the elevator opened. Everyone in the main room froze and turned.

"Hey, Pepper!"

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** Guess what? THe **real** A/N is on the next chapter! That's right, two whole chapters! Mainly because this one is so short and I forgot I didn't already post it...oops. :P )_


	18. Unsettled

Bree squinted into the darkness, pulling back the blanket covering her face. Something had woken her up. It wasn't a nightmare (thankfully) and she was pretty sure it wasn't coming from her room. No, it sounded like outside her door. Bree slowly nudged the door open and peeked around into the common room. There were several figures standing next to the kitchen table, huddled around it. Bree frowned in confusion. Why would they be standing in the dark? The only light was from someone's phone they were huddled around and the city lights leaking through the windows.

"No, no, today, preferably. Tony wanted to do it in a few days, so today would only work," someone spoke into the phone. Bree raised her eyebrows, recognizing Clint's voice. They were whispering so Bree wasn't entirely sure that was what they were saying.

"Can we do it that fast?" That was Steve. Bree snuck around the corner to be closer, her curiosity tingling. The door bonked against the wall and she winced as they turned to look.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked quietly, hoping she wasn't intruding. Steve walked over to a side table and flipped on a lamp. Clint, Natasha, and Bucky were standing next to someone a man that Bree had never seen before.

"Hey, Bree. Why are you up?" Clint asked, concern tinging his voice. "Have trouble sleeping again?" Bree shook her head, glad her messy hair was covering half of her face. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment.

"Uhm, no, not tonight. I heard talking out here and just wanted to see who it was what was going on." Natasha gestured to the tall man standing next to her.

"Bree, this is Thor. Thor, this is Bree." The man bent down slightly to shake her hand. Bree shook it hesitantly with wide eyes. He was hands-down the tallest person she had ever met. Thor looked amused at her tiny four foot nine frame.

"Nice to meet you Pleasure to meet you, Brielle. I have heard a lot about you from Heimdall." Bree nodded like she understood and Bucky snickered.

"She doesn't know what that means, Thor," he clarified. Bree bowed her head and shrugged sheepishly. Thor laughed heartily and shook his head.

"My apologies. I'll just leave it at I've heard of you," he said, bemused at his own misdoing. She peered up at him and gave a shy smile, then turned to Clint.

"Why are you guys out here this late?" Clint's gaze flickered to Natasha's as exchanged a glance, so fast that Bree almost didn't catch it.

"We're just greeting Thor. Nearly gave me a heart attack. I heard someone bumbling around out here and woke a few us up," Bucky said smoothly. Bree frowned – wouldn't she have heard him too, then? Her room was directly off the main floor. She rubbed her eyes blearily, decided she was too tired for anything to make sense.

"Okay," she yawned and gave a small wave. "Nice to meet you, Thor. See you guys in the morning." Bree shuffled back into her bedroom and dropped off back to sleep.

Thor watched her go with great amusement. The girl had barely given him a wary glance after Natasha clarified who he was.

"She is quite trusting, is she not?" He was surprised to see a chorus of shaking heads.

"Definitely not at first. Bree would barely talk or leave her room, always seemed terrified that we were going to hurt her, or something." Thor's heart ached for her.

"She seems so young, especially by Midgard terms." Natasha nodded darkly.

"We don't have actual confirmation on her age, actually. She told us she's sixteen, but we never found any documentation at the place we found her." Thor made a mental note to ask Heimdall about that- maybe he knew something. Which reminded him…

"I see. Heimdall also told me that she fought valiantly in a battle, recently?" Steve nodded and filled him in with all that had happened. "I see what your problem is, then. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of how to help you." Clint nodded in agreement, shrugging.

"I figured, just seemed worth a shot. I don't actually know if we have to fill out paperwork or anything, and I can't get ahold of Fury or Coulson. They've gone radio silent." A pleasant female voice spoke up, making Thor jump.

"If you'll excuse me, Sir would like to convey that he is offended you did not come to him first, and in his words, 'Come down to the danger zone' to talk." Clint couldn't help the eye roll as much as he couldn't help the small grin spreading across his face.

"Alright. Tell Tony we're on our way."

As soon as she walked into the kitchen the following morning, Bree could tell something was up. Something had happened after she had gone back to bed. The kitchen was buzzing with some unspoken secret. Thor kept glancing at Natasha or Clint every five seconds. Rhodes was talking to Tony next to the coffee machine - and Tony usually _never_ formed coherent sentences without completely finishing his coffee, yet he was barely past the second sip and was rambling away. Of course Clint and Natasha were showing absolutely no signs of anything different, and Sam was talking with Buck and Steve on the couch per usual. Bree eyed the tall Norse god as she pulled out a bowl from the cabinet. Now in the daylight she could see much better and he seemed so much taller. Thor was standing next to Pepper, Vision, Wanda, and Bruce who where taking up residence on the chairs at the island. Bree shuffled to the cabinets and squeezed past Thor, who looked down in surprise.

"Ah! Good morning, young Bree." She gave him a sleepy hesitant smile, nodding her hello as she jumped to reach the cereal box that Tony had cleverly put on the top shelf. She turned and raised an eyebrow at the snarky millionaire.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" he asked innocently. Bree just shook her head and jump again. Steve laughed as he passed by to press the power off button on the smoothie machine and placed the cereal box on the counter.

"Thank _you_ ," she said, smiling at him and tossing a glare at Tony again. He snorted and hid behind his coffee. Bree sat at the kitchen island next to Pepper, who squeezed her shoulder warmly. Food wasn't allowed on the couches ever since someone (Tony) spilled cranberry juice all over it, which caused Sam to laugh so hard he knocked over the coffee table that had everyone else's drinks on it.

"So," Tony said, clearing his throat. Bree raised an eyebrow as she tucked an unruly curl behind her ear and took a spoonful of cereal. "I was thinking, and-"

"Wow, that's impressive. You were thinking? Want a round of applause? " It was Tony's turn to glare at Rhodes as he gave the man a slow clap. "Actually, it's impressive enough that you're up and talking before you've had coffee, let alone thinking."

"Hey, that's what I was saying too!" Clint said, snickering. Tony rolled his eyes and waved his hand exuberantly.

"As I was saying," pause for another glare, "I was talking to Pepper and I think we should have a party." Bree looked up from her cereal, confused.

"Why?" she asked. Tony shrugged.

"Well, I used to have almost bi-weekly ones and I'm going to go crazy without one, so I'm gonna host one. And of course, you all are invited." Natasha rolled her eyes and Bree looked expectantly at the other Avengers. Why weren't they objecting?

"Great idea," Thor said. "We can have a great feast!" Tony pointed a finger at him and nodded.

"Exactly." Bree stared at all of them. Surely Bruce wouldn't agree with this, he hated parties, at least from what Bree could tell.

"Are you all on board with this?" she asked skeptically. Nobody shook his or her head. She stared at each of them and finally turned to Pepper. "I'm not feeling so good, I'm gonna go read in my room." Bree felt bad as she dropped her bowl in the dishwasher and put the cereal box on the lower shelf, but she was confused. Why were they all acting so...so weird? First the looks when she came in and now all agreeing to a party. Unsettled, she hopped on her bead and spread out eagle-style, then rolled over to grab a book off her nightstand. She was only a few pages in when the door creaked open.

"Can I come in?" Pepper asked. Bree nodded hesitantly and put the book down as Pepper came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "What's bothering you?" Bree blinked quickly in surprise.

"Oh. Uhm, I don't know. I'm just off." Bree sighed and then added, "No, that's not it. Everyone's acting weird. You all looked at me funny and now there's a party, which I didn't think some would like at all. And there was a whole meeting in the middle of the night. I'm just worried that…" she trailed off and Pepper squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"What are you worried about, Bree? There's nothing wrong." Bree bit her lip and then lowered her head.

"I was worried you all are kicking me out," she whispered. Pepper didn't reply and a bit of panic kicked in. "I mean, I know it's different and probably weird for everyone to have me in the Tower, and I know I don't have any powers and you didn't ask for this and with all the-"

"Take a breath, Bree," Pepper gently reminded her, cutting off her nervous rambling. "It's not that at all, I promise you. We really do like having you around. It's nothing like that." Bree looked sideways from behind the curtain of curly hair.

"Really?" she breathed out and Pepper chuckled, pulling her in for a sideways hug.

"Really." She glanced at the door, completive. "Look, I'm going to tell you this and you can't tell anyone I said this. Okay?" Bree nodded and Pepper leaned in.

"They're planning a surprise for you, something to do with this party. I don't know the exact details, but I do know the gist of it. There's nothing for you to worry about." Bree looked at her in shock.

"A surprise?" The thought stunned her and she shook her head mildly. "That's really thoughtful." A small smile grew on her face. "No wonder. I was wondering why Bruce didn't try to argue his way out of it." Pepper laughed lightly and nodded in agreement.

"Probably the only ones who really like having a party are Tony, Thor, and maybe Sam. The rest of them? Not so much." Bree joined in her laughter this time and Pepper stood to get up. "What about you? Do you like parties?" Bree thought for a second and shrugged.

"I've never actually been to one, so I guess I'll find out." Pepper offered her a hand up and Bree took it, standing next to her.

"Wanda was looking worried when you excused yourself. Are you coming back out or should I tell her you're okay?" Bree shook her head.

"I'll come with you," she said and Pepper smiled. Bree had no idea what was coming.

* * *

 _ **(A/N:**_ _Woohoo! The very very very late chapter has arrived! Thank you all so very much for your support, it means a lot to me! Special thanks to: **AleuStark, Moonleaf Stormrunner, Iamapersoniswear, Marie,** and **sweet sunset rain** for your wonderful reviews! _


	19. Social

"Oh, come on, Brielle, it is not just a party! It is your first party here with us, and there will be tons of people there!" Wanda's insistence nearly brought a smile to Bree's face, but she managed to hold it in.

"I'm not really sure I want to go, Wanda. Like you said, there will be tons of people there." Bree couldn't help it. She laughed and quickly turned it into a cough. Natasha gave her an amused but "I'm-onto-you" look from across the room. Bree shrugged. She had figured hey, if the Avengers were setting up a surprise, she might as well have a little fun. Besides, they would never suspect she was bluffing and that Pepper had let the fact there was a "surprise" slip if she acted resistant. _I should have known_ , she thought, turning her back to Natasha, _that I couldn't fool the professional spy._ Wanda patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Do not worry. I was frightened of all the people the first time Tony dragged me to one. But they are not that bad, they can even be fun if you like people-watching." Wanda's reassurance sent a pang of guilt through Bree, so she sighed.

"Fine, alright." She gestured grandly to the large closet full of fancy dresses and outfits that the three girls of Avengers Tower shared.

"We already have so many from various events that we've gone to," Pepper had explained, "that we decided just to combine and fill a closet. They can be altered and sized if it doesn't fit." She had eyed Bree's figure and laughed gently. "I think we'll have to." Now, Bree was staring at the fanciest clothes she had ever seen in one place. A vast walk-in closet, she marveled at the different materials, some soft, some silky, and all stunningly gorgeous.

"Here," Wanda said, gently taking her hand and tugging Bree over to a dress. "Try this on for size." Bree didn't even get a chance to look at the dress before she was shoved into a closet and cautiously stepping out. "Nope," Wanda decided, handing her another dress and spinning her back into the dressing room. This was repeated for at least an hour before Pepper stepped into the room. "Wanda," she chuckled, peeking her head in, "You've been at it for at least an hour. Let Bree breath." Natasha rolled her eyes at Pepper but quickly took a cracker off the tray the woman had brought in.

"Just one more," Wanda begged. "Please, I think I've got the right one now." Bree giggled at her expression and Pepper sighed.

"Fine," she said, shaking her head with a smile on her face. "Just one more." Wanda quickly handed the dress to Bree.

"Yes! Besides, this one is made by the Seamstress himself." A sly grin to Pepper and she couldn't help the laugh escaping at the nickname Tony had adorned their costume maker.

"Who's the Seamstress?" Bree asked and even Natasha had to snort. Pepper waved her hand.

"You'll meet him eventually." Bree gave them a curious look, while Pepper smiled at the two younger girls. She knew that both Natasha and Bree probably found it incredibly boring to sit and try on dresses, but they did it anyway. Bree stepped out and Wanda clapped.

"Yes," she determined, nodding her head matter-of-factly. "Pepper, is there any way we can get this hemmed by tonight?" she asked, clasping her hands together. Pepper shrugged.

"I can do it right now. I used to do all my own clothes before coming to work here." Wanda trailed out after Pepper as she went to go find clothespins and Bree sighed, tugging on the itchy fabric. This was by far the most expensive piece of clothing she thought she had ever touched. The shoes were pinching and the fabric was uncomfortable. Natasha gave her a knowing look.

"Trust me," Natasha murmured, low enough that the others couldn't hear if they were outside. "It'll be worth it." Bree smiled and tugged again on the stiff material as Wanda burst back in.

"Alright, let's get to work. We only have several hours." Bree raised an eyebrow and Wanda shrugged. "We've got a lot to do." Much to Bree's chagrin, Wanda was right. The Sokovian dragged her from dresses, to hair, to makeup ("No makeup," Bree had insisted and Wanda shook her head. "Fine, not much, but just blush or something."), to nails, and a bunch of other girly things that Bree would have never gone to if she hadn't been dragged to. It was finally about seven o'clock when Clint was sent to usher them to the living room.

"So," he stage-whispered, pulling Bree aside in the elevator, "You survive the whole makeover thing?" Bree laughed and shook her head.

"Just barely," she retorted, and Natasha slapped his arm.

"Hey!" he yelped and the doors opened. The Avengers were all gathered, most looking as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Alright," started Tony. "We've got maximum security surrounding this place. No one is let in unless they were personally invited and background checked, but just in case, we're all going to be wearing comms. In order to active the speaking part of it, we're gonna put the button you need to push on some jewelry or watches or something like that. And just in case, stick in at least twos. The last time we had a party, we didn't have _as_ many people trying to kill us." Bree gulped and Steve must have seen her expression because he shook his head and said,

"Don't worry, Bree. You're going to be fine." She nodded and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Tony asked, taking Pepper's arm. "People are already down there." Bruce snorted.

"Late to our own party?" he asked skeptically. Tony shrugged, turning around to face him.

"Hey, fashionably late, right?" Bruce just shook his head and offered his arm to Natasha. Thor wandered up to Bree and offered his.

"Shall we?" he asked, and Bree smiled at his kindness.

"Sure," she said, taking one last deep breath. "Why not?"

* * *

Why not indeed. The lights flashing in her eyes made her head spin and brightness whenever she blinked. It seemed like hundreds of reporters were clamoring at the base of Avengers Tower for a chance to be let in through the doors up to the party. She had quickly claimed a spot over by the refreshment table and nibbled on some chips and salsa. It had only been about an hour into the party and she had been introduced to more people than she had ever met in her life. Bree spotted Pepper making her way over with another woman, chatting good-naturedly.

"Hey there. Red, this is Maria Hill. Maria, this is Red, our newest addition to the Tower." A glance around at the crowds and a heavy look from Pepper to her friend clued Bree in that something was going on. It hadn't escaped her notice that everybody had been careful not to give away her real name. _Smart,_ she had thought, _protecting everyone's identity._

"Pleasure to meet you," Bree repeated, just as she had multiple times. The woman shook her hand excitedly.

"Oh, let me assure you, the pleasure is all mine. I've heard good things about you from Pepper." So this woman knew Pepper and the Avengers well enough to be trusted. Bree smiled and scooped more of her dip onto a chip, effectively easing herself out of the conversation. She spotted Bruce leaning against the opposite end table and she hid a smile. At least one of the Avengers had made sure to be around her, in case of any danger. It was touching, though she felt bad that they probably could be doing something else. A song turned on and the crowd roared as Bree covered her ears. She was swamped with people suddenly clapping and cheering, and moving towards the dance floor. It was too much. The crowd seemed to turn into breathing mass, sweaty and swaying as one. All the dignified introductions and sophisticated chatter seemed to be meaningless. It was engulfing, swallowing-

"Excuse me," she yelled hurriedly to be heard over the music to Pepper and the woman Maria and swiftly turned to look for the nearest exit. _There,_ she thought, spying a door leading to a terrace. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she froze, thoughts panicking.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Bucky mouthed and she quickly nodded, tearing herself from the crowd and fighting towards the exit. The door unlocked with no difficulty and she breathed in the fresh air. It was quieter, with only the sounds of reporters and the New York ambiance drifting upwards to the higher floor. _Deep breaths_ , she reminded herself, trying to remember what Bruce had taught her to do in a panic attack. _In for three, hold for seven, out for five._ A few repetitions in and she had calmed herself down a reasonable degree when the door opened and the swarm of noise escaped. Bree kept staring out at the city, assuming it was one of the team.

"Too much noise?" the young voice asked. Bree jumped and turned, clutching the ring that her comm activator was implanted in. The boy standing in front of her was familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"Bree? Are you okay?" Natasha asked over the comm. Bree quickly shook out of it and replied,

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry." She took her finger off the button and stared at the newcomer.

"Who are you?" she asked warily. He set down his soda can and stuck out his hand for he to shake.

"Oh, Miss Red, I mean you no harm, I'm sorry. I was at the Chinese place, the one you-"

"-Nearly ran over," Bree finished with a laugh, shaking his hand. He nodded, laughing as well, and picked his drink back up. His jet-black hair was combed back, changed from the spikey hairdo it had been previously. The ratty t-shirt and jeans he had been sporting were changed to an obviously expensive suit.

"That would be me, indeed. My name is Drew," he offered with an easy smile.

"Nice to meet you, Drew. My name's B-…Red," she said, catching herself at last second. He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on the stutter.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're all over the news." Bree blushed at the reminded and pulled a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Oh. Right." She shifted awkwardly, looking back out at the sky.

"Bree? Could you come back inside in about ten minutes? Will you be okay by then or do you want one of us to come out?" Steve asked over the comm. Bree smiled apologetically at Drew and pressed her thumb to the ring that would allow her to talk.

"No, I'm alright, just wanted some fresh air. I'll be in by then." There was a moment of silence until Sam asked,

"Is that a boy with you out there?" Bree blushed again, even though they couldn't see. Tony could be heard starting to say something but was quickly muffled, followed by the sound of someone slapping him.

"Ow, fine, fine! I won't say anything!" Someone laughed and Natasha spoke up.

"Is your girlfriend beating you up again? Poor Tony," she said coyly.

"Yes! _Ow,_ Pep! Uncle, uncle!" Bree couldn't help laughing as the line went dead, then realized Drew was still there, looking at her curiously, but also with amusement.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. They were talking to me and-" Drew waved a hand.

"No problem, it's fine. I assume you've got one of the ear thingies in, then?" She nodded as he shook his head.

"Good, I'd say we would have a problem if there wasn't and you were just talking to yourself." Bree snorted and looked out at the skyline, enjoying the easy banter and the fresh air. There was still something about the boy that seemed familiar, that put her at ease.

Inside, Tony sauntered up to the drink stand, still rubbing his arm from where Pepper had slapped him. _Don't forget your speech; don't forget your speech,_ he thought to himself as Rhodes wandered up to him.

"Hey, man. Where's the liquor? Some of the guests are complaining, and I'm about to start." Tony shrugged, choosing not to say anything. Rhodes raised his eyebrows.

"Aw, come on, don't go silent on me. Seriously, though, a Stark party without alcohol? Is there gonna be a grand reveal later or something?" Tony sighed, glancing around before answering.

"Look, Rhodey, you know I love a drink as much as the next guy, but there won't be any tonight." Rhodes took a step back.

"What's with the sudden heart change? Having a mid-life crisis or something?" Tony snorted, rolling his eyes. "Seriously Tony, are you okay? This is totally out of character for you. The media will be stumped. Do we need to talk somewhere quiet?" Actual concern graced his face as Tony shook his head, leaning in to whisper.

"Look, I found out that someone here has very bad memories with alcohol. I'm trying to be supportive, or whatever you call it. 'A helpful man' and all the rot." Rhodes nodded, shrugging but deciding not to question the decision as Tony remembered the conversation.

 _"Hey Tony, can we talk for a second?" Tony glanced up from his computer to find Pepper standing at the door, Wanda a little behind._

 _"Sure," he said, rolling his chair back from the computer and lacing his hands together. "What's up?"_

 _"Look, Wanda found some memories when she was unconscious, after the whole bookstore trip." Tony stared at the two, not understanding. Wanda sighed and stepped up next to him, waving a red spiral around her fingers._

 _"May I?" she asked and Tony reluctantly nodded. He hated having his brain messed with or looked at or whatever it was she did._

 _"Uh, okay, I guess?" he said hesitantly and she waved the red magic towards him. Instantly, he found himself watching a series of three memories, each as saddening as the next. When the sequence ended, he stared into space, not ready to talk. He finally cleared his throat and looked at Wanda. "Was that Bree?" he asked and she nodded, eyes filled with reluctance. Pepper gently placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it in circles comfortingly, like one would do to comfort a child. Tony didn't know what to do or how to respond. Drinking had always been fun for him, a way to escape reality. But what he had seen was horrible, something no child should go through._

 _"So for the party," Pepper started. Tony nodded his head slowly, realizing what they wanted him to do._

 _"Yeah. I got it. No drinks or anything like that," he promised, still mulling over what he had seen. Pepper gave him a quick kiss and Wanda gave him a smile, and with that, they left his office. He stared out the window for a long time after that. It took a lot to render Tony Stark speechless, but it could be done._

Tony cleared his throat and glanced at his watch, tearing himself from the memory.

"Oh look, it's almost time for our speech thing." He pressed a button covertly hidden on his watch to speak into his comm.

"Hey kid, you back inside? Some speech and talking stuff is about to go down." There was silence and no answer.

"Bree?" Taps on his back made Tony jump and whirl around, scoffing when it was revealed to be Bree herself. "Jeez, kid, you scared me."

"Sorry," she said, though Tony thought she sounded more amused than sorry.

"You need to stop hanging out with me so much. I'm being a bad influence on you," he said mockingly, winking to make sure she knew he was kidding. She rolled her eyes and shrugged, and Tony hid a grin. _She obviously isn't as timid as I thought she was,_ he thought. The music whirled to a stop and Tony checked his watch again. Nine o'clock, on the dot. He stepped up onto the stage and took the microphone from the DJ he had hired. Everyone turned to stare at him as he cleared his throat into the mic.

"Right, well. Thank you all for coming. I know you're anxious to get back to partying or whatever you were doing, so this will be quick." A laugh from several people in the crowd and he took a breath before continuing, wishing Steve or Clint could have done this instead. No matter what the papers or people thought, Tony secretly didn't like talking in front of huge crowds. It just came with the business, so he sucked it up and smiled through it. "I wish it was my idea, but I can't really take the credit because the planning happened at ungodly hours of the night and I was in my lab, oblivious for the most part. Anyway, if you've been around any Internet or TV and seen the news, you know who Red is. If you haven't, you've been living under a rock or something." Pause for laughter and another deep breath. Gosh, he wished he had his teleprompter. "But for those people who live under a rock, I'm gonna explain a little bit. At the beginning of the month, we were on a mission and rescued a girl who was held at the place against her will. Fast forward to just recently to what you saw on the news. She went in there with a bit of training, and managed to come out relatively unscathed. We made an important decision based on that. Now because of legal stuff and paperwork and the little amount of training, blah blah blah, it took a bit of convincing and time, but we eventually made it work." He paused for dramatic effect and took a second to glance out at his teammates in the crowd. Steve was standing up front close to the stage, a sly smirk on his face. Natasha and Clint stood next to him, while Thor was to right next to the stage, directly in front on where Tony was standing, just lower. Wanda had a huge grin on her face and was squeezing Vision's hand excitedly on the right of the stage. Tony supposed she could tell what was coming, though she hadn't been told much, just asked for the final decision. Rhodey was behind those two, along with Sam. Pepper stood with Maria Hill in the middle of the crowd, almost blending in (Tony could spot Pepper in any crowd anyway). Tony blanched when he realized their resident Winter Soldier and Hulk was missing, glancing towards Steve worriedly, about to scrap his speech. Steve was close enough to the stage to see the direction of his gaze and pointed discreetly over towards Bree. Bruce had situated himself a little behind and to the left of Bree, while Bucky was on the right. Tony smirked, thinking, _She's got an entourage already._ Relief flooded him and though he would never admit it, he was glad that he could stop looking over his shoulder to check on the kid. Realizing he still had a speech and that it was silent (the whole ordeal had only taken a couple seconds, though it felt longer), Tony waved his hand towards Bree and sighed, giving up the dramatic pauses and flair. "What I'm trying to say is that the Avengers have a new honorary member." Flutters of whispers and talking flew through the crowd as he held up a finger towards Bree, who didn't seem to understand. She was standing there with a slightly confused and amused expression. "Honorary, though. You've got a _lot_ of work to do before actually being, you know, a full-fledged member and all that. Lots of training, lots of work, and no super dangerous stuff. But yeah…" Tony paused one last time. The news had already picked her a name from the video that had been released of Clint and Bree talking about the fairytale, but now it would be official. Plus, the first part amused Tony. "Welcome to the Avengers, Little Red." Understanding finally dawned on Bree as the crowd roared and pushed, trying to get a glance of the new 'member'. Tony handed the microphone back to the DJ, who was craning his neck around the board to see the small girl. Thor pushed his way through the crowd as Tony stepped off the stage. A small beeping started to go off in his ear.

"Stark," Natasha warned, voice filtering over the beeps. He waved a hand in her direction.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear it." He sighed, trying to get to the rest of his team. "I make a perfectly good speech and some people have to ruin it by setting off the alarm." He reached where Bruce, Bucky, Thor, and Bree had gathered next to the stage. Bree looked confused, pressing a hand against her comm.

"What's the beeping for?" she hissed, appearing rather small with everyone towering over her in the crowd. Thor ushered her out of the crowd and to a bookshelf in the corner, which he pulled back to reveal an elevator.

"Alarm. Hurry, get in before the crowds realize what's going on," Natasha said, appearing at the back of the group. Bree quickly fumbled into the elevator, nearly tripping over her own two feet to get in. She leaned against the sidewall of the elevator, standing next to Pepper. Her heart was thudding erratically and head spinning with what seemed to be a thousand thoughts. In a matter of seconds, she had gone to amusement at Tony's ramblings, to elation when she realized what his ramblings actually meant, and finally to panic as the beeping had started. The party guests would soon be realizing their host was no longer with them.

"What about the rest of you guys?" Bree asked, noting that only half of them were in the elevator.

"They'll get the guests out safely. We have this planned out like clockwork. No need to worry, Bree." As the elevator crawled higher into Avengers Tower towards the more residential floors, she bit her lip, trying to calm herself. _I hope so,_ she thought. _I hope so._

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** This is the longest chapter in the  entire story so far. Sorry about the excessive wait time guys! I've been in the hospital for the past week. *sigh* Oh well, such is life. Per usual, leave me any comments, questions, ideas, or edits in the reviews. I love hearing feedback and encouragement, it makes my day and inspires me! Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, and follows this story, and special thanks to: **AleuStark** for the review!  
_


	20. Lost

The elevator hummed its way up through the tower before stopping near the very top, awkward elevator music playing in the background.

"Sir, I feel I should warn you whoever is attacking is trying to override my protocols," FRIDAY spoke, breaking the music. Tony glanced upwards towards where her voice was coming from, concern lancing his gaze.

"Alright. Let me know if they get closer." There was a time when Tony would have scoffed, waved a hand in dismissal, and carried on. _Not anymore,_ he thought, as the doors opened. FRIDAY had already prepared an evac helicopter for their exit. "Ready for departure when you are, sir," the mechanical voice announced as they stepped out of the elevator. Bree eyed the helicopter warily.

"Ever been on one of these before?" Clint asked, walking towards her. She shook her head, taking in the metal contraption. Tony sauntered off to a small metal circle on the floor.

"Have a safe flight. I'm gonna go help the ground team." The suit attached itself to Tony and he winked at Pepper before zooming off the roof. Bree edged closer to the spinning blades, heart fluttering.

"Let's go, let's go," said Clint, waving them towards the helicopter. Bree hesitantly grabbed hold of the handles and pulled herself through the opening. Clint quickly handed her a small noise-blocking headphone set to put over her earpiece before helping Pepper into the helicopter. With shaking hands Bree tried to buckle the belt across her lap three times before hearing a click. The door to the copter shut and she looked around. Bruce was in the back leaning away from everyone with head against the way, earphones in and looking like he was about to have a panic attack himself. Next to him was Rhodes, tapping a melody on his seat. Bree herself was sandwiched between Sam and Pepper. Sam looked like he was itching to be part of the team on the ground. _I wonder why he's not with that group, then,_ Bree thought. Pepper squeezed her wrist reassuringly. A glance towards the front of the helicopter revealed Clint as their pilot. He flicked a switch and FRIDAY came to life.

"Prepare for takeoff," the mechanical voice said and Bree adjusted her seat belt tighter.

"Everyone ready?" spoke Clint through his or her earpieces. Bree's grip tightened as they hovered into the air, knuckles turning white.

"You okay?" Pepper asked. Bree nodded with an attempt at a casual shrug.

"I've never been so high up. Plus, the helicopter looks monstrous." Sam chuckled at her description.

"Tell that to Stark, he designed it." Pepper shook her head teasingly.

"Let's check in with Ground team. Turn your channel over to three," Clint ordered. Bree flicked her earpiece and turned the channel. Almost instantly, noises of yelling and loud crashes filled the headset.

"-said LEFT. Not right!"

"I went left!"

"You went right!" A loud crash and Tony sighed over the comm.

"Fine. Maybe I went right." Clint's voice spoke next as he flipped channels.

"How are you guys on ground team doing?" A muffled yell and a crumbling noise echoed before anyone responded.

"So far, so good. All the guests were promptly escorted into the safe rooms. They'll all be safe," Natasha answered.

"Do you guys know what they're after?" Sam asked. It was Steve that answered next.

"No clue. They seem to be aiming for the computers in Tony's lab. We've managed to keep them out so far."

"That's weird," Bruce said. "Why would they want that?"

"Who _wouldn't?_ " Tony said incredulously.

"Alright. We're heading to the closest landing spot that we can," Clint said. Bree peered out the window on Sam's side. The glistening city below seemed further away each second. Bree shuddered at the thought of being so high up.

"You're protected in here, Bree. All joking aside, this thing is pretty safe," Sam said, knocking on the side to emphasize his point. A beeping filled their comms and Bree nearly yanked hers off when it screeched.

"What's wrong with these?" Clint shouted. The screeching filled the helicopter, coming from the walls as well.

"I regret to inform you, but I am no longer able to assist," FRIDAY's calm voice said.

"What's going on?" Bree yelled. There was static from the other team and voices mixed in with the beeping.

"They- FRIDAY- mainframe-" Tony's voice was cutting in and out. The helicopter started to spin, sending them all jolting to the side.

"I can't control it!" Clint yelled back as the helicopter jerked its passengers. "We need to get out! There should be emergency parachute that should slow your fall." Bree reached under her sheet and felt the plastic. Bruce was desperately trying to get out, starting to look a little green. Pepper was clicking hers on while Sam simply jumped out and used his Falcon wings. Bree clamored to get the chains attached, violently shaking. _Don't panic,_ she mentally chanted. _Don't panic._ She shoved the chain onto its match, but it snapped. Eyes widening, she looked around. Clint and Rhodes had already jumped. It was just she and Bruce left on the out-of-control helicopter.

"Bree, jump! Sam will try to catch you!" shouted Clint from where he had landed. Bree hesitantly took a step out and fell. Her breath caught and she screamed. Sam raced after her until a bright ball of energy suddenly flew at him. He yelped in both surprise and pain. Time seemed to slow down.

" _He missed,"_ Bree realized. _"I'm free falling over a city off a rogue helicopter."_ Another blue orb was sent in her direction and hit her square in the back. It seemed to numb where it hit and Bree closed her eyes, blacking out almost instantly from the inertia.

* * *

The darkness was suffocating when she came back to consciousness. Her wrists were tied behind the chair she was sitting in as well as her feet. Blinking sleepily, she looked around. Old rusting metal was randomly around the area. The walls looked like worn bricks. A few random machines towered down over the area.

"Hello?" Bree asked, craning her neck to look behind her. A shadow emerged from the level above.

"Oh, good. You're awake." The voice was familiar, but whoever it was didn't show themselves. "I was afraid we had gone a little overboard, but apparently not." Bree cleared her throat and squinted in the minimal light.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying to sound calm. The shaking of her legs didn't quite match her tone. The shadow waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, it doesn't matter what I want. Who I work for, they're the ones who wanted this. Either way, it's quite a smart plan." The silhouette walked down the creaking stairs and closer to her. Bree strained to see his face, but it was still hidden with shadows.

"What is this place?" she asked, looking up at where he had come from. The person shrugged.

"An abandoned clothing factory, I believe. It's only about a half hour away from downtown New York City, but close enough that trucks coming on and off the road out here aren't suspicious." The man fiddled with something, switching it between his left and right hands. He was slowly getting closer.

"Who are you?" The shadow actually chuckled at that point.

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in showing you. You won't remember it, anyway." He stepped into the faint light and Bree inhaled a shaky breath.

"You." The familiar man nodded in confirmation.

"Indeed. Me. You didn't think you could hide forever, did you?" Another person, a boy much smaller than the man, stepped out from behind him and handed him an object. "Thanks for the info you told Drew here on the comm device before the speech. If we hadn't known you were wearing one, it would have made it so much more difficult to cover up." Bree looked around, starting to panic as she glared at Drew in betrayal.

"What are you going to do?" Drew fiddled with the small needle in his hand.

"Just a little experiment. You'll see in time." The man snatched up a vial of liquid on a table nearby. "Or not. I guess we'll find out, won't we?" He filled the needle with it and drew closer. Bree stifled a scared gasp as the needle went into her elbow.

"This one's just to erase the memory of our little chat." Her eyelids drooped and she pitched forward, only to have Drew catch her. His voice sounded like he was underwater or from a long tunnel.

"It'll be okay." Was he speaking? His lips were moving but incoherent sentences were floating around. Another vial was pulled into her vision, filled with a bright blue liquid. A deeper voice.

"It'll be okay. Just close your eyes. It will be like dreaming." Relief flooded her system as the darkness took over, the word echoing over and over. Of course. She was dreaming. Floating, sinking in murkiness. Bubbling voices spilling over. Silence so loud it rang. Bree fought against the sleepiness. It seemed like hours fighting against the silky darkness. Inch by inch it pulled back and despite her attempts, she could still not stand. The chair she was tied to was not coming off in her state. So she fumbled, trying to sway the chair over. It wobbled and shook with a crash, rusty wood splintering to pieces. Blinking in a daze, her vision started to slowly grow back. _Please be gone, please be gone_ , she prayed as she scrambled away from broken chair. What was even going on? How did she get there? Disjointed fragments of a wall, the snapped planks, and old rusty metal swarmed. Bree's head throbbed and she reached up and closed her hand around a metal beam. Slowly, she pulled herself up, legs shaking. One step- nearly falling. Second step. _Okay,_ she thought, _I can do this._ A thought struck her and she stood, trying to regain her balance.

"What if I'm supposed to be here?" she murmured softly, eyes scanning the area again. "Was I supposed to be helping something?" Blearily shaking her head again, she kept going. There was no way she was supposed to be…supposed to be… _here, wherever that is._ There. There was the door. A rotten wood door that swung open when she merely tapped it. "Ack." The creaking as it moved made her wince and lightly brush her forehead. Whatever had happened had left a _horrible_ headache. Taking a few steps, she stopped to turn and look at where she had been. "Wait a second…I've seen this place." A flash of a memory whizzed by her thoughts.

" _Okay?" She stared at the man, uncomprehending, and he scowled. She clutched the arm of her little brother tighter._

 _"Ow," he complained and Brielle nudged him with her toe. The man's scowl deepened._

 _"I mean it. No funny business or anythin'. You get a lick of trouble coming around here, you bail out. That's the rules. And for cryin' out loud, don't get authorities involv'd. Got it?" They both nodded and the tiny boy wandered inside the abandoned place, looking at the walls and people in disgust._

 _"This place is creepy. Can't we go stay with Miss Laura?" The girl shook her head at the mention of her previous foster mom._

 _"No, Benny. You know that. She'd report us from running away from foster care again. And then we'd be in trouble." Benton pouted, drawing out his lower lip._

 _"But you didn't do anything. I ran away and you came to find me. What's so wrong with that?" The girl shrugged, wiping the drop of water away that had landed on her head (where it came from, she didn't want to know)._

 _"That's jus' the way it is, Benny. Dunno why."_

That was all the memory provided, but it was enough. Bree stared at the place in new understanding. It was where a bunch of homeless and runaways gathered for shelter and shared meals of what could be found. It would only be a day and a half until the police arrived and delivered them to their respective homes. But where were all the people? Why had she been the only one there? Searching the blank memory, she scowled at the gaping hole. What on _earth_ had happened? Stumbling forward, moving again. _There should be a road…a road…where's the road?_ Peering in both directions, she saw nothing but an abandoned asphalt lot. _That's right. The road was to…the left? No, the right. Yes, the right. Wait…"_ Bree stamped her foot in frustration and immediately regretted it as pain shot up her arm. _Why was there pain?_ It still wasn't helping her think… _wait, yes! What's the last thing I can remember?_ Bree scowled at the asphalt covered in bits of trash. She could remember…remember… there was a party. Tony's party. There was a speech, a blurry speech that only consisted of fuzzy murmuring. That couldn't be accurate. What had he been saying? Then what? Try as she may, the following events remained a mystery. Through the muddled fog, pieces of advice started to filter through. _Find the nearest public place if you're ever trying to escape_ , Natasha had once said. _Witnesses will be there and plenty of hideouts._ A smile curved at her lips as Clint had passed by carrying a slice of pizza and chimed,

 _"Unless you're fighting a huge person or monster type thing. Then keep far away from humanity as possible."_ Natasha had scowled and lightly flicked his arm, making him roll his eyes and walk away. Public place. Public place. _That should be easy enough, right? It's New York, for goodness sakes._ Although everything still had a slurred edge to it, her thoughts were slowly starting to smooth out. The abandoned warehouse she had exited wasn't too far from downtown, within reasonable walking distance. Squaring her shoulders, Bree trudged down the lot, hoping to stumble into civilian life soon enough. The constant pain in her right arm was a reminder to get somewhere fast and make sure she hadn't broken anything. It didn't feel like that sort of ache, but just in case, she wanted to be sure. It felt like hours, but only a half hour had passed at most before she stumbled onto a main road filled with street lights, sweating. It was summer in New York and she was wearing a fancy dress in what she was pretty sure was the middle of the night- maybe even morning of the next day. Everything was closing down, albeit the bars and late-night restaurants, and Bree was _pretty_ sure she wasn't going to go in there, regardless of whether they would even let her in being underage. She spotted a lit up sign and scrambled over to it, yelping at the pain in her sudden movement. The cashier looked up in surprise and Bree gave him a breathless wave. The aroma of sandwiches made her stomach grumble and she wandered over to the employee.

"Is there any way I can use a phone?" she gasped and the employee quickly handed over his cell phone. Staring at the digits, she resisted the urge to let her head fall to the table. She didn't know anyone's phone number- she never had needed to call anyone.

"Have you been hurt?" the employee asked. _Evan_ , his nametag read. She shrugged wordlessly, handing his phone back to him.

"You wouldn't happen to know any of the Avenger's phone numbers?" she asked meekly with an apologetic smile. Bree watched as his eyes grew big and he cursed under his breath, fumbling with the keyboard on his phone.

"You're that new girl, aren't you? That's living with the Avengers?" She nodded, fidgeting with the ripped golden trim on the dress. "Uhm, okay. I can like, call the police, if that's what you want. I don't really know of anything else to do…" He trailed off, looking frightened for his life

"No, no, that's fine. Here, I can talk to them." He gave her a dubious look but dialed and handed the phone over.

"Nine one one, what's your emergency?" Bree cleared her throat nervously and spoke.

"Uh, hi, my name's B-…Red. I kinda got kidnapped…I think? Could you tell one of the Avengers or something?" There was a muffled sound on the other end and a pause.

"Red? Like the kid that's with the Avengers?" She nodded before realizing that the other person couldn't see.

"Umm, yes. Could you…I don't know. Call them? Is that a thing you guys can do?" A crackling noise shot through the phone and she winced, pulling it away as a mechanical voice wormed through.

"Miss Red? This is FRIDAY. I have been monitoring the local police calls and radios. Where is your current location?" Bree nearly collapsed in relief and lowered the phone.

"Uh, Evan, where are we? What's the address?" She repeated what he said into the phone and FRIDAY hung up with a promise that someone would be there soon, and strict instructions to stay put. Bree sighed, handing the phone back to Evan. "Thank you," she said, genuinely giving him a tired smile.

"Oh, no problem." She stared at him for a second before glancing away, not wanting to seem rude. He bit his lip like he wanted to ask questions, and Bree was thankful he wasn't. She was tired enough, but also paranoid.

"Is there any place I can just rest for a moment? I don't mean to be a bother, but I'm dead on my feet." Evan gestured for her to come around back to the serving area.

"Well, unless you want to sleep back in the fridge, which I doubt 'cause, dude, it's cold, I'll just move some supplies." She tried to protest but he was already moving a bucket of who-knows-what out of the way under the serving area. With a small smile creeping over her face once more, she crept under the area and gave him a thankful look. Soon, this would be all over, and she would be back in her own bed.

As long as the Avengers found her first.

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** *bursts up like a Kraken* I RISE. ;P Hey guys! Missed you so much- it's been FOUR MONTHS! I won't bore you with the details (unless you want 'em, in which I will happily explain in great sarcasm 'bout life XD ) but I'll just leave it at health issues (yay hospitals!) and I WROTE A NOVEL! WHICH IS NOW IN EDITING! :D Which brings me to  what my main point was. This chapter I had a lost of trouble getting back into Bree's mind-frame, mainly because my novel was_ 1st person and my _MC was so different from her, especially in how they portray their thoughts. So I apologize if this seems a little different from Bree's normal personality. Should be back to normal by at least the next chapter. ;) Thanks so much guys, for staying with me!_

 _Special thanks to: **AleuStark, Moonleaf Stormrunner, and Marie0907!** You reviewers make my day/week/month! :D _


	21. Found

Tony Stark was a thousand percent done with these people. _COME ON_ \- anyone with class knows you don't interrupt a party to viciously attack a person's computers.

Seriously, it should be some sort of hacker's rule or something.

But apparently these guys hadn't gotten the memo, because they had been working tirelessly all night. FRIDAY had been deactivated on the mainframe, but in a lucky stroke of genius, Tony had a backup on an individual drive.

"Take that," he muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard. Natasha was next to him, furiously typing away as well. Maria was scanning from the doorway, like she had been for the past few hours. The others were taking on some physical attack, which made no sense. _Why would they attack us virtually AND physically?_ Unless they were trying to split the team up, in which case, it was working. Tony scowled at the keyboard, where a new strand of numbers revealed itself.

"Okay, you know what? You are going _down._ I'm tired and this is boring. I want pizza or something. Maybe ice cream. Definitely ice cream." Natasha raised her eyebrow in dry amusement without looking away from her screen.

"You're just now deciding that these guys are going down?" Tony scoffed, commanding FRIDAY to run a scan of the new numbers before responding.

"Well, it was known before but now I felt like it needed a declaration or something." Maria interrupted before the Natasha could retaliate.

"Turn your comms to channel three. The others are trying to talk but it's not really going through." Tony reached up and did so, hating to waste even a second with his hands away from the keyboard.

"Evac team, what's up?" There was a loud thundering that made Tony wince and loud yelling filled the comm.

"The chopper…had to land…can't find…need backup…at highway…" Straining to hear over the background, Tony cursed into his computer. Steve took over and asked what Tony had been about to.

"What?" There was still too much noise to discern Clint's response. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Natasha stiffen.

"We need to end this. Now. Something else must be going on here." Tony wasted a precious second to stare at her in confusion.

"Um, isn't that what we've been trying to do? It hasn't exactly been a friendly game of hopscotch here." Natasha ignored him and he rolled his eyes with a huff. "Okay, don't tell me. Keep your spy-secret stuff to yourself."

"Evac team, if you can hear me, you need to get back as soon as possible. They're slowly settling down. Repeat, fall back to the Tower." There was only the static and loud background noise in response- if anyone replied, it was too soft to hear. Tony flipped the channel back to their own designated one and sighed in relief at the lack of overwhelming noise.

"FRIDAY, gimme an estimate on how much longer this should take," he ordered, resisting the urge to take another sip of the energy drink- the unhealthy kind, not the natural kind (he wasn't a _barbarian)_.

"At the current speed of yourself and Ms. Romanoff, estimated finishing time is in: three minutes and twenty nine seconds." Ah, the sweet closeness of victory.

"Alright, let's do this." He cracked his knuckles as Maria gave him a weird look but said nothing. For the next moments only the sounds of nails hitting keys filled the room, with the odd noises filling the comms from the rest of the team. Finally, _finally_ , ones and zeros blasted the last of the offensive bots and worms.

"That's right. You messed with the wrong AI and billionaire." After a pointed look from Natasha, he added, "And a spy?" She rolled her eyes and stretched from bending over the computer.

"Any of the Evac team able to respond?" she asked, flipping the channel back. Tony followed suit and to his surprise, the loud noise was gone, replaced by worried chatter.

"I'm on my way to meet the rest of the group. Wounded, a little bit. My tech needs repairing. And my pride got misplaced somewhere in the descent down," Sam replied. Natasha passed Maria and stalked out of the room, the two following behind her.

"The rest of the group? Sam, where are you?" Steve asked. Tony could almost hear him throwing his hands in the air when he replied.

"How am I supposed to know? Our helicopter crashed, dude." Tony choked for a second. That shouldn't have been possible. FRIDAY was controlling…oh.

"Pepper, Rhodes, and I are here. Bruce hulked out when it was crashing, _while_ in his parachute. No clue where Sam and Bree ended up," Clint said. Tony resisted the urge to put his head in his hands.

"So we have Hulk on the loose, and Sam and Bree unaccounted for. That's great." Sam made an indignant noise.

"Uhm, hello? Didn't I just say I was on my way?" There was minor squabbling, which Natasha quickly cut through.

"Why aren't you with the rest of the group, Sam?" she asked and Tony could almost feel his annoyance through the speaker.

"Well, Bree's parachute clip snapped in two, so I was supposed to catch her." The comms went silent, save for labored breathing and background chatter.

" _You didn't catch her_?" Natasha's voice sounded clipped and controlled, which a glance confirmed for Tony that her eyes were narrowed.

"Well, I _would_ have. I tried! Something hit my wings and sent me tumbling. Hence why I'm walking instead of being with the rest of the group. Clint, did any of you happen to see what hit me?" Pepper's voice filled Tony's ear in response, to his relief -she had been silent until then.

"It was like a glowing blue bubble, or something. Came from no where." The comms fell silent until Wanda broke it, saying what was worrying on the fray of Tony's thoughts.

"So what you're saying is Bree fell from a high elevation _without a parachute?_ " Her voice screeched upward in the way that only young girls can and Tony winced, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Holy…guys, start looking. Ground team, is there anyway that you can help look?" Tony didn't think twice before starting to answer, but Steve beat him to it.

"We're on our way. We just finished downstairs." Tony nodded along, adding in,

"Done here, too. Virtual attack overridden. Where are you located?" FRIDAY was silent running a damage report as he glanced at his watch. Not as bad as he had thought it would have been.

"Not sure. I think we're a little ways upstate. We had only been flying for a little while until we crashed. I think we're around Sterling Forest area." Tony cleared his throat and stepped through a pile of rubble.

"FRIDAY, could you trace the comm and find where they are?"

"Already on it, sir." The map on his watch zoomed upwards, and slowly narrowed in.

"Could one of you keep talking? It's easier to trace," Tony explained. Clint started rambling off his surroundings ("We've got a dead-looking, half-fried pigeon coming up on us." "Excuse me, I do not look like a fried pigeon" Sam had retorted as he joined the group) and the watch finally beeped with a location. "Yep, you're in the Sterling Forest area. Pretty close to a lake, actually. Stay close to the area, we'll be there soon." The rest of the fighting team wordlessly met in the garage as Tony grabbed his suit in a briefcase. Tony jumped in a car, not really caring which one. Natasha, Maria, and Thor followed, getting into Tony's car as Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Vision went in a different car.

"We're on our way."

* * *

The car slammed to an abrupt stop as Clint watched the door swing open so fast he was worried the hinges would fly off. Half of the group had gotten there a while earlier- the others had gone to calm the Hulk. The remaining of the group trudged over, Tony eying Sam's smoking wing.

"Wow. Clint wasn't kidding about the fried part." Sam scowled and patted the part he could reach.

"It's just a little singed. It's fixable, I'm sure." Steve interrupted the two before another squabble could break out.

"Where have you guys searched?" Clint gestured to the areas surrounding them widely.

"Pretty much all around us within about fifteen yards. We didn't want to go too far. Whatever hit Sam is still out there," he said with a sigh. Steve nodded, casting a glance to the sky.

"We should start looking while there's at least a little bit of light. It'll be pitch dark soon." With that, they split off. For hours, Clint paced up and down his section of the forest, hearing mumblings over the comm of the others. He feared he would look down and see the worst. But nothing came over their speakers, no updates. They all found nothing. After about three hours, a sigh came over.

"We've been searching this whole area. She's not here," Sam said. Clint dragged his hands over his face. Vision spoke over the sighs.

"That literally seems impossible. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you landed where we parked, right? That giant smoking helicopter was yours?" Clint snorted and nodded his confirmation.

"Definitely ours." Though he couldn't see him in the dark and distance, Clint could sense Tony's pacing and gesturing with his hands.

"Right. So logically, she should be within a mile of here. And we've searched that. Bruce, you're sure you didn't see her?" The sullen scientist replied,

"I'm sure I didn't. I would have said something about it," he snapped. Clint resisted the urge to go over and like, pat him on the shoulder or something. Bruce looked so disappointed as he was searching, just murmuring to himself under his breath.

"So that leaves us with two options," Tony continued, ignoring the testy remark. Steve picked up what Tony hadn't yet said.

"You mean she got up and walked away? She would probably be too hurt to do that. I mean, she fell from a _helicopter._ " Clint shook his head, glancing up to the sky.

"We weren't up _that_ high. I knew we were going down so I tried to level it out as low as I could before jumping. I mean, yes, high enough to get hurt, but not high enough for…I don't know, major internal bleeding or anything."

"That's one option. What's the other?" Wanda asked, sleepiness seeping into her tone. It was Bucky that answered her.

"That someone took her." The sentence rang through their ears and Clint stopped pacing to rub his eyes.

"Oh," was all Wanda replied with. It was then that a shrill ringing broke through the forest.

"FRIDAY?" Tony asked apprehensively. The AI said something the rest couldn't hear, and Clint trudged over in his direction.

"Tony, what was that?" As he neared closer to the man muttering, he could start to see the determined look and relief sweeping his face.

"FRIDAY said the police just got a call. Bree's been found." There was a pause as muted cheers fluttered through the forest and Tony pressed the watch closer to his ear. "She's at a sandwich shop? _In_ the city. FRIDAY's sending over the coordinates right now. Apparently she talked briefly to Bree herself." Clint was now close enough he could hear the AI's response of,

"Indeed, sir. She appears to be under the watchful care of an employee. I have inserted myself into the security cameras there, and will alert you of any change. Coordinates received." Clint peered at the watch as it zoomed in miles from where they were.

"How did she get over there? The helicopter landed here!" Wanda protested, watching it curiously. The group started towards the cars. Clint fought off the uneasy feeling in his stomach. This was easy-too easy. Nothing ever went this easy.

"We'll find that out later. Let's go get Bree."

* * *

The boy paced anxiously across the room while the man scowled at him.

"Stop pacing." The boy ignored him but instead picked up the pace. "I said, stop pacing." The boy tore his eyes off the wall in front of him to mumble,

"Shut up, Matt." Before he could blink, the man was no longer casually leaning against the wall but instead right next to him.

"Don't talk to me like that." His words were carefully articulated and steely, making the boy wince and nod.

"Yessir." Apparently this wasn't any better based off the scowl tossed in his direction. Hesitant to speak again, he slowly asked, "Aren't you nervous? We disobeyed a direct order." Matt shrugged, leaning back against the wall.

"Anything's possible when you act like you knew exactly what you were doing. We did. Until you were an idiot and now I'm stuck covering for both of us." The scowl hardened and the boy made the decision to shut up with the sarcasm.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I panicked. All of a sudden, I couldn't do it," he said almost apologetically and Matt waved it off dismissively.

"Whatever, kid. It was your first big mission. I'd be surprised if you didn't screw it up somehow."

"Don't call me kid," the boy mumbled in response. "You're only…what? Five years older? Six?" Regretting the snarky response as soon as it slipped out of his mouth, he fought the urge to cower. As Matt turned to sneer again, a door opening and a man ushering them down the hall saved him. Glancing down one of the open doors, a frowning woman had cloth and pins in her hands, measuring a man with bright blue hair. The next held two people fighting.

"Right in here," the man ordered. He held a door open and the boy took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Just let me do the talking," Matt hissed under his breath. He watched as the older of them pasted on a confident smile and strode into the room. He kept behind Matt as they walked, keeping his eyes on the three people sitting in front of them.

"Well, if it isn't our dynamic duo?" the woman said dryly, raising her eyebrows. Matt spread his arms out.

"Commanders Jackson, Moore, Martinez. So nice to see you again." The three ignored him and studied their notes. Finally the man in the middle spoke.

"You know why you're here, I presume." Matt opened his mouth to speak but the woman added in,

"And none of your elaborate stories or excuses this time," she said with a pointed look. Matt stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled agreeably.

"Of course. There's a good explanation, I assure you. It started when we first got on the field, I had the idea to…" The boy watched as the scientist spun his words almost effortlessly. For someone who used to spend so much time isolated behind a lab and a desk, he sure knew how to use charisma.

"This still doesn't change the fact you disobeyed a direct order," the woman stated matter-of-factly, eyebrows still raised.

"Ah, Commander Martinez, you can't get ahead if you aren't afraid to take chances. See, here was our issue; if we took the girl now, there's not going to be much of an emotional attachment. Sure, there would be mass searches and the Avengers would be upset and concerned, but they would get over it quicker than we need. Just think about it. If we _waited_ , let them get emotionally invested and attached, it would be like pulling a rug out from their feet. These people make allies and ties differently than us- they're loyalty is unquestionable. We're not going to be able to break that again. It's been tried. We need to turn their loyalty against them, let it rule their emotions." He could see the gears turning as they studied the man before them and the notes. He watched with dread as the woman finally noticed him hiding behind Matt.

"And what's your story?" He cleared his throat before mumbling,

"The same as his." Wrong this to say, _wrong thing to say._ Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and Matt quickly interrupted.

"You've got to admit it makes sense." One of the men shook his head.

"And how are we going to get the girl again? We caught them off guard once, it might be hard to do it again." The confident smile was back on Matt's face again as he pulled a small object from his pocket and tossed it to one of the officials.

"Well, we didn't let her go without doing _anything._ What are we, idiots?" He attempted at a chuckle, but all that was received were dry looks, so Matt continued. "While she was, ahem, _asleep_ , we put a tracker embedded in the base of her ankle. Enough cover that whatever artificial intelligence would pass it off as part of the shoe. We can remotely activate a paralysis that will inject an anesthetic into her bloodstream as soon as we hit the button. Easy extraction when needed." A sigh of relief escaped the younger of the two as the commanders seemed to be warming up to the idea. Only the woman seemed skeptical.

"Very well. Your smart thinking will be rewarded," one of the men said, flipping a page. "Matthew Lewis, you will be promoted to one of the leaders of Project Number One Eight Two Three, Operation Wolf." As they both prepared to leave, he spoke to the boy. "You too, Colin Richards."

* * *

 ** _(A/N:_** _Dun dun duuuuuun! ;P So there you have it. The two guys who were in the warehouse. I hope this cleared up a little bit of what's going in! Also, please correct me if I'm wrong about any of the New York geographies and shops. I have absolutely no clue about sandwich shops and forests for helicopters to crash. I tried to research as much as I could, but sadly Google doesn't have much of a response for "where would a helicopter in New York crash after _ minutes?"_

 _Thank you to all of you lovely readers who followed and favorited, and special thanks to **AleuStark** , **Phoenixfromthefire** , and **FlowerChild23** for reviewing! Y'all are awesome and I I love your reviews (seriously. They inspire me! :P) _


	22. Unremembered

The sandwich shop was dimly lit, Tony noted, as they burst in. A teen maybe eighteen or nineteen years old was sweeping the floor and glanced up in surprise.

"Sorry, we're closing up soon, but…oh. H-hello, sir. Ma'am," he greeted as Natasha walked in behind Tony.

"Where's the kid?" he demanded, tired and ready for _sleep._ Steve's plans to get everyone up at decent hours for training could take a hike- he was going to sleep in. The employee motioned to behind the counter as more of the Avengers poured in. _Evan_ , the name tag read, took it in stride, only glancing at them a few times. Tony peered over to where he had pointed to.

"Is she in the back?" Sam asked, crossing his arms and slouching against the wall. The corners of Evan's lips curled up as he shook his head and opened one of the huge cabinets under the buffet. Tony couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped. There was no way he was ever going to let this go. Their newest addition was asleep in a _cabinet_ in a _sandwich shop?_

"She looked pretty exhausted and there are not really many places to sleep. I mean, there are the chairs out here but I figured she's a superhero, you know? Probably wouldn't be smart to leave her out there in plain sight, even if it is pretty late. And the chairs are bolted down, so it's not like I could move them, so…" The teen prattled on as Tony watched Thor go to wake up Bree.

"Let her sleep," Clint said, laying a hand on the Asgardian's shoulder. "We don't know what she's been through." Thor nodded and gently scooped Bree up. Tony turned back to the teen-Evan? Evan.

"Look, Evan, we really appreciate it. Like, a lot. Call me soon to discuss job opportunities. You can't be making much here at this place. Here, here's my card. Call around four or five in the afternoon." With that, they filed out, leaving a speechless employee in their wake.

* * *

"So you don't remember anything?" The group watched as Bree shook her head anxiously.

"Nothing. It's a complete blank. The last thing I remember is being at the party, and there was a speech of sorts, and then that's it." Steve sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Wanda, can you find anything?" he asked. She closed her eyes and they watched hopefully, sighing when Wanda shook her head.

"Nothing. It's not even fuzzy like right after, it's just…gone." Bree slumped forward, resting her head on her hands.

"So what does that mean? What happened? How did I end up in the sandwich shop?" She glanced around at them, but no one answered. Finally, Clint spoke.

"We don't know. There was an attack on the party, FRIDAY's still tracking exactly who it was. You were with a group of us getting evacuated when something went wrong with the helicopter and we had to crash land. Your parachute landed somewhere else after some…blue orb thing shot at Sam."

"A blue orb thing?" Bree asked suspiciously and they nodded.

"We searched the woods where the parachutes landed for hours, but there was absolutely no sign of you. FRIDAY got a call around three AM that you had called from a sandwich shop towards the city," Steve explained. Bree nodded, rubbing a hand on her forehead.

"That I remember. It's all fuzzy. I woke up in some abandoned warehouse that Benny and I used to stay at…I think? And then I just stumbled around until I found the shop open." Murmured whispering made Steve turn around to find Bruce muttering something to Natasha, gesturing at a piece of paper with his hand.

"What's wrong?" Clint asked for him. Bruce glanced nervously at the paper again before clearing his throat.

"Well, you know the blood test we ran as soon as we got back here? Along with the physical and other mandatory checks?" They all nodded, though Bree started to look panicked. "Well, there's chloral hydrate found in her blood." Tony blanched, but the rest of the group just stared at him blankly. "It's a sedative. Usually only a minor side-product of chloroform, but there isn't any chloroform present along with it." He kept staring at the paper as Steve tried to keep us.

"So someone gave her something to make her sleep?" Pepper clarified and both Bruce and Tony nodded along.

"Oh," was all Bree said, staring into space. There was an awkward silence before Natasha stood.

"Well, Clint, Bree, let's go work on training. We're going to work on a new technique." The small girl nodded and trailed behind the two as they left the room, happy for a distraction. Steve watched them go before someone cleared their throat.

"You do realize that she doesn't remember being told she's an honorary part of the team now? Someone's going to have to tell her," Bucky said dryly. The look on Tony's face was almost priceless, in Steve's opinion.

"I have to make _another_ sappy speech? No way, dude. Someone else is gonna do it. You know what? You brought it up, you get to do it?" _No,_ Steve thought, _this is the definition of priceless._ Bucky indeed looked almost like a deer in headlights when he started shaking his head. Tony cut him off by standing up. "Nope, sorry, man. Your time to shine. Make sure to make it sappy and emotional. This is a big moment in her life." With that, their Iron Man exited and left a speechless Winter Soldier, a laughing Steve, and a snickering rest of the team.

* * *

 _ **((Admittedly Very Long) A/N:** My lovely readers! How I've missed you! I'm so sorry for leaving this for a months or so! Between finals, cramming for finals, trying to learn what I was in the hospital and was going to be in the final, falling sick again (ugh), getting my novel into the editing process, and working with editing the novel, and traveling, everything went a little hayyyywire! But never fear, for it is **Camp NaNoWriMo**_ _, aka Where Everything Gets Done On Time! In fact, **I have a very very long chapter queued up to make up for the shortness of this chapter** that will be published very soon!_

 _Please let me know if any sciency-stuff is wrong! I tried to research everything about the sedative and chloro hydrates and chloroform, but science is NOT my strong suit so I most likely messed *something* up! ;P_

 _Special thanks to:_ _ **FlowerChild23** for reviewing! You guys' reviews honestly make my entire darn week and motivate me. Keep being your amazing selves! _


	23. Negotiation

Bree watched the elevator floor number tick upwards anxiously, palms sweating. She wasn't sure _why_ FRIDAY had told her that Tony wanted to see her up in the lab, but she couldn't shake the uneasy that had made it's home in her stomach the past few days. The elevator hummed as it stopped at the lab's floor and she stepped out, knees shaking. _This is silly,_ she thought, annoyed with herself. _He's not going to yell at you or anything, you idiot._ Swinging open the door, she slipped inside to the bustling room. Tony was in the corner with his back to her, standing at a machine with a computer hooked up to it, tapping on the screen. But he wasn't the only person in the lab- Bruce was fiddling with a dropper and two beakers, and Sam was standing next to Tony.

"-doubt me? C'mon, have a little faith," Tony was saying. Bree took a step closer to see what they were doing when Bruce looked up and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Tony, she's here," he said quietly, but it was enough for Tony to turn and spot her.

"And here's our newest addition. Gotta put you on hold, Sam." Sam raised an eyebrow and shook his head but said nothing.

"Hi," Bree said nervously, internally rolling her eyes at herself. Tony crossed over to a cabinet and pulled out a long bag with a handle on one end and the bag tied at the other.

"Here ya go, kiddo." Bree took it; the bag was as long as her and she stared curiously.

"What is it?" Tony snorted and gestured to it.

"Well, you can't be an Avenger without a suit. True, you're an honorary one, but still. Gotta keep up the public image, right?" Bree stared at him as he jabbered on, and then looked back at the bag.

"I get my own suit?" she whispered and he nodded with an odd look on his face.

"Well, yeah. You can't just run around in civilian clothes during missions. Unless you're undercover or something- you know what I mean. Go try it on so we can see if it needs any adjustments or if it doesn't fit." Bree scurried out of the lab as quick as she could and prodded the elevator button. She had no clue if there was a bathroom on the lab floor- the tower was so huge, she hadn't even found all of the rooms- so she went down to her own room. Once in the safety of her own room, she tugged the bag out of its knot and pulled it off the hanger.

"Wow," she breathed, staring at her _very own suit._ It was awesome- and couldn't believe it was hers. Bree carefully pulled it on, staring at herself in the full-length mirror. It fit exactly, like it was made for her ( _which it was_ , she reminded herself with a smirk). She raced back to the elevator and tapped her foot going up before bursting into the lab. The noise made the three people in the room jump, which was unfortunate for Bruce. The vial he was holding splashed the liquid into the beaker below, which started to smoke.

"Oops," she whispered with wide eyes. He coughed and waved it away in dismissal.

"It's alright. It's not harmful to breathe in. Luckily." Tony nodded and added,

"Yeah, that's the fourth time today that's happened." Bruce scowled and shook his head. Sam tugged on the edge of her cloak with a smirk.

"Fully embracing the Little Red Riding Hood thing, aren't you?" Bree grinned while Tony nodded.

"Might as well. Press and media are already speculating on what the suit's gonna look like. I actually took a few ideas from fan art," he said with a begrudging nod. Bree fiddled with the metal loops on the side of her belt and frowned.

"What are these for?" Tony waved her question away and stepped closer to analyze one of the seams on her shoulders.

"You'll see, later. That's Natasha and Clint's input on the suit. For now, does anything feel uncomfortable?" Bree shook her head and he nodded, satisfied. "Now let's see. There should be fasteners for the cape, in case it gets in the way. Right here," Tony said, motioning to snaps under her arms. She complied and tucked the buttons in as the cape folded into itself. "Alright. Don't take it off _just_ yet, head down to the sparring room." She complied and went back to the elevator, cheeks flaming when she found Wanda in there too.

"Is that your suit?" she asked excitedly and Bree nodded. "Well, don't let me keep you. I'm going down to the main floor. Where you headed?" Bree quickly told her as Wanda pushed the button for her, waving when the elevator stopped. Bree hurried into the sparring room before anyone else could see her.

"Well, I've got to say, your red top kinda matches the shade of your face right now," Clint remarked as she walked in, which only made her blush harder.

"Thanks," Bree said dryly and Natasha adjusted the hooded cape a little bit.

"That's not too long, is it? I told Stark it would only get in the way but he insisted on keeping with the theme. I negotiated-"

"Threatened," Clint coughed and Natasha carried on.

"- _negotiated_ down to a waist-length one instead of floor length." Bree shook her head slightly.

"No, it seems perfect. What are the loop holster things here for?" Clint's eyes lit up and he walked over to a small supply closet that normally held towels and spare gloves. Two metal rods protruded from his grasp when he turned back, nearly as tall as her.

" _These_ are your new weapons. I mean, only if you want them. We just thought it might be nice to have something of your own. I've got my bow, Stark's got his suit, and Cap's got his shield- you know. There's already footage of you wielding that collapsed metal pole from the wreckage at the attack, so we thought why not?" Hesitantly, Bree took the rods like they were about to explode.

"Wow," she breathed, staring at the shining gray. They had the same red color as her shirt on the end caps and were surprisingly well balanced.

"Go ahead, swing them a few times." She did so, trying to keep her jaw from dropping at how easy it was. "They'll be useful for defensive and offensive, depending on how you use them. We'll start training tomorrow."

* * *

Apparently the Avengers did _not_ get a break.

"Go suit up, Bree!" Clint reminded her as the rest of them were scrambling to put their shoes on and grab their respective weapons. She jumped up from the kitchen table, smacking herself on the forehead.

"Sorry! Totally forgot!" she yelled over her shoulder, racing to her room. She pulled on the suit and grabbed the metal rods, slipping them into the holsters that crisscrossed them onto her back. Bree caught up to them, the last to board the quinjet. "So where are we going?" she asked breathlessly, settling into one of the seats.

"Not very far," Natasha called back from the co-pilot's seat. "This one's mainly for you," she explained. Bree froze.

"Say what?" Tony smirked and tossed her a water bottle.

"Normally we wouldn't take jobs like this. But we're taking it so you can have some practice." Bree exhaled, reminding herself to breathe.

"Okay," she answered slowly. "What are we doing, then?" Glancing around, she realized that _all_ of the Avengers were there. Normally on the smaller missions, they only dispatched several of them at a time, unless there was a world-ending crisis (which sadly, there were more of than a person would think).

"It's a bank robbery. Simple," Tony said with an easy smile. "Trust me, kid, you'll be alright."

"If anything ever so _slightly_ happens to go sideways, you literally have a team of super-powered individuals behind you," Sam added in with a smirk. Bree nodded, rubbing her thumb across the cool metal of her weapon.

"Am I going in alone?" she asked, trying to hide the panic in her eyes and the relief when Tony shook his head.

"Nah. We're not _that_ mean. Geez. You'll have Sam and Vision in there with you, but they're going to hang back and let you handle this one." Bree forgot to breathe again as they landed. They all filed out as Clint walked alongside Bree.

"So, we've got a pretty straightforward hostage case. The guy broke in, he has a gun, he wants the money and has eleven hostages that are in there. There's a list of demands he's given police, but they're ridiculous. Just work your magic, kid." Bree raised an eyebrow and tugged the hood lower over her face.

"What magic? I don't _have_ any. Send Wanda in if you need magic." Wanda chuckled from behind them.

"Not _that_ kind of magic. Just go in there and calm him down, see what you can get him to do. Remember, we'll be right there but only you're in dire need of assistance. You've got this." Bree squared her shoulders and nodded from beneath the hood of her cape. The police had the whole parking lot and shopping area barricaded off with tape and a line of cars.

"Chief Davis, nice to see you again. We'll take this one, as long as you guys don't mind. Doing a little training." Tony said smoothly. The chief took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair.

"This isn't a kiddy playing ground. People's lives are at stake." Steve walked up to the front of their group and Bree had to hold back a smile at the effect it had on the officers. They immediately straightened up and the chief lost his ' _I'm going to kill you all if you say another word'_ look.

"Understood, sir. We'll have backup in place, but I don't believe it will come to that." The chief sighed before he nodded and let them through, saying something into his walkie-talkie. They had crossed the tape. There was no backing out now. From here on, she would be Red, in order to protect her own identity. Out of the corner of her eye, Bree saw Bucky lean over and mutter something to Steve, which made him lightly flick the other's shoulder.

"Alright, this is as far as the rest of us are going to go. We'll see you in a bit," Clint said and she walked over to the bank, leaving the group behind. Sam and Vision trailed a solid seven to ten feet behind her as she carefully opened the door.

"Who's that?" A rough voice called out. Bree fought the urge to run and cower next to the group of hostages.

* * *

Natasha watched as the girl peered around the door. Unless a person was paying close attention, they wouldn't notice that Bree's legs were shaking and she was absentmindedly running a hand over her new polearms. This had been Natasha's own idea that she had discussed with Steve, who had agreed. But now she was starting to wonder. _Should we really have sent her into the field so quick?_ Bree had only been with them for almost a month, and only three weeks of that had they trained at all. She watched as Bree slipped through the door with one last anxious look towards the team. Natasha nodded in what she hoped looked like reassurance.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Bruce asked, hovering behind the group anxiously. "I mean, she's a teenager." Natasha almost agreed with him, had Clint not spoken up.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sure. She's had training, admittedly not much, but enough to hold her own if something were to happen. Plus, she's going to be good at this," he said, gesturing to the bank. Rhodes raised an eyebrow.

"What's 'this'? Bank missions?" he said with a laugh. Natasha felt her own lips curve into a smile at Clint's words. Yes, he was right. She'd be fine.

"No, _negotiations._ Trust me here, I really think she's got a good shot." Rhodes shrugged nonchalantly, shaking his head.

"If you say so." Clint's smile was triumphant.

Within the next half hour, the police were radioed and walked in to find a criminal and a girl sitting on a counter discussing Wii games.

* * *

 ** _(A/N:_** _Wooo really long chapter in place! Hope y'all liked it! There is a huge plot twist coming up! Hehehe...*grins*_

 _Special thanks to: **Phoenixfromthefire** , **FlowerChild23,** and **sweet sunset rain** for the reviews! Reviews mean the world to me, so let me know what y'all think!_


	24. Fear

The days slipped away, leading from weeks to months. They celebrated Steve's birthday by going to a fourth of July carnival, which became the one and only time the Avengers ever saw Bree hyped up on sugar (something which they would use as an embarrassing reminder for quite a while). She was briefly introduced to Peter Parker when he stopped by to give something to Tony before he headed back to his neighborhood. They went on a few more "training" missions when the call came.

Bree shut her laptop with a satisfying "click" and flopped over on her bed. It may be one AM, but the allure of Pinterest had sucked the time. Oops. She slid off the bed, glancing at the blinking clock that read _1:42._ Okay, so maybe a little later than one AM. Bree slipped her fuzzy socks on with a soft smile, recalling the slip-n-slide Tony and herself had created a few days prior. Luckily, the boot she had been forced to wear only lasted for a few days, ending with just a sprain. She stood, carefully easing the door open. Bree liked to wander the Tower's numerous rooms whenever she couldn't sleep. The Tower was quiet this early- by now she knew the Avengers' schedules. Natasha, for example, was a night owl, she would stay in the main area until around eleven, before going downstairs to train until around midnight. Bucky would get up around three AM, and Steve would be up by five AM - hence Bree's surprise to hear voices. She snuck around to the hallway leading to a conference room, the pit of her stomach curling for eavesdropping.

"...still a minor. There's only so much we can do." That would be Steve. He was up _way_ early for his schedule.

"So what? We can't do anything?" That was Tony, which honestly, Bree wasn't surprised to hear his voice. He was up all odds and ends of the night (and mornings)- as far as she could tell, there was no pattern. "We just let it happen?"

Steve spoke again. "I'm not sure. That's just what Fury told me." There was shuffling and Bree held her breath, hoping no one had heard her. After a moment, there was a shrill ring of a phone that elicited a few yelps of surprise from the room's inhabitants- including herself, in the hallway.

"What do you mean, they're invading a school?" Bree felt the blood drain from her face as Clint whispered into the phone- just how many of the Avengers were in there? School had just started for the year and while none of her teammates had talked to her about it yet, she knew it was going to be an issue soon. She was still in high school- she needed to do something. Plus, there was the fact that she was a minor, and supposed to be under foster care, for that matter. Bree didn't know how they had managed to let her stay for this long, but she was starting to be cautious. Was that what they had been talking about? There was a muttered curse in response and a sigh.

"Okay. We're on it. Don't worry, we'll leaving the kid." Silence. "Yeah. I know. She won't find out." The snap of a phone clicking shut echoed into the hallway and she risked moving closer to listen. "There's an attack on a school, which I'm guessing you heard," Clint explained.

"A school?" asked the quiet voice that made Bree jump. Bucky sounded like he was right on the other side of the door.

"Why aren't we bringing Bree?" Tony quipped, sounding distracted.

Clint sighed again and muttered something before responding. "It's her-..." He fell silent and Bree strained to hear more. What was happening? Why wasn't she allowed to come? Was there something very wrong? As the thoughts swarmed, the door cracked open. She made a small noise in surprise which made the door swing open all the way. They all looked surprised except Bucky- drat.

"Traitor," she muttered with a half-smile. No one smiled back, though Bucky did nod in recognition and amusement flitted quickly across his features. "What's going on? Why aren't I allowed to come?"

Steve looked intrigued, though distracted."How long were you listening?" he said, tone slightly disapproving. She shrugged, waiting for him to answer her own question. He finally rolled his shoulders back and looked to Clint.

"Just a precaution," he said. _Lie._ Bree knew it, he knew it, heck, everyone knew it.

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "That can't be it. What school is being attacked? Why?" The silence seemed to drag on and she finally turned to Bucky for answers. He would tell her.

"St. Ambrose's School for Boys."

Bree felt her blood turn to ice as she froze.

"What?" she asked, voice flat. That couldn't be the right school. That was her little brother's school. If it was being attacked….if it...if it…. "Why?" Bree asked, her voice rising. "Is this because of me? Did someone find out who I am? Why are they attacking? How? I need to help." There was a wave of shaking heads as the last sentence left her mouth.

"We don't know why, or if anyone found out your identity," Steve explained. "The whole school is under lockdown. And you're not going." Bree tried to stamp down the panic growing.

"Why not? I can help. This is my little brother!" The pitying looks were too much. Why didn't they understand? This was _her_ fault. This was _her_ brother. Clint put a hand on her shoulder as they filed out of the room, and she numbly kept up with him.

"That's why you can't go. It's too personal. Don't worry, Bree. We'll get him safe." She nodded blindly, still reeling. FRIDAY must have woken the rest of the Avengers up because within a few minutes they were gathered by the loading pad for the quinjet, fully suited-up.

"Alright," Steve started. "Who's going to stay behind with Bree?" Through her dazed panic, she shook her head.

"Nobody. I can take care of myself. I'd rather you guys all were over there than just watching here with me." Steve and Tony both looked hesitant, so she continued. "Come on, there are little children there! You need to help them!" she yelled desperately. Didn't they understand? "Pepper and I can handle ourselves." Pepper nodded in confirmation and crossed her arms. Finally, Steve sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Don't leave the Tower. Let's go, then." Bree watched anxiously as they left, Wanda squeezing her hand reassuringly, Sam gave her a fist bump, and Bucky gave her a reassuring nod. The quinjet took off and Bree sighed in frustration. She needed to be there, she could help. Wasn't that why she had been training so hard in the past weeks? To join them? She was so lost in her worries that Bree jumped when Pepper squeezed her shoulder.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to make some tea. Want anything?" Bree nodded mutely and trudged after her into the kitchen, still clad in her fuzzy socks. Pepper rummaged through the cabinets, humming lightly. The adrenaline wore off and when Pepper turned back around, Bree was asleep with her head in her arms on the counter.

* * *

The next day was filled with more anxiety. Why weren't they back yet? What was taking so long? Was anyone hurt? Were they okay? Was her brother okay? Bree drummed her fingers against the cool granite of the kitchen table absentmindedly. Pepper was working in her office, up on one of the higher floors. The older woman had apologized profusely (some kind of emergency on a flight being delayed with shipping orders), which Bree assured her was okay. She was going to be anxious no matter what- why make Pepper stay with her anyway? The Tower felt eerily quiet with all her teammates gone. Finally getting bored of sitting, she went down to the training room for a bit before FRIDAY spoke.

"Miss Chasky?" the AI asked. Bree jumped and eagerly looked up.

"Yes? Do you have information? What's going on with the team?"

The AI continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I'm going to need Miss Potts and yourself head down to our safe room. A precaution." Bree skeptically pulled off her hand wraps.

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

FRIDAY didn't say anything, except, "Don't worry. I'll tell you more once you're there." Bree wasn't quite sure where the safe room is, but she ran into Pepper in the elevator.

"What's going on, Pepper? What's wrong?" Pepper pursed her lips.

"I don't know. Nobody should know that all the Avengers are gone, but maybe there's been a report on the news about the school? We'll find out." The only thing giving away Pepper's nerves was her wringing her hands. Bree jumped when the elevator dinged and tried to breathe. Something had to have gone very wrong, regardless of what FRIDAY said. What if her brother was hurt? What if one of her teammates got hurt because of her? The metal door to the safe room swung shut behind them with a thud and Bree sat against the wall. It felt like hours before anything happened. Pepper told her stories about humorous things that had happened around the Tower to pass time. It was on the three-hour mark that the door shook with the sound of an explosion. She stared at it with wide eyes, unconsciously slipping into a defensive position.

"What was that?" she asked, wishing her voice didn't have the slight tremor in it. Pepper shook her head cautiously.

"I don't know. Stay here, I'm going to go look. Don't open the door unless it's me," the woman warned and Bree's stomach clenched. So she _did_ know something that Bree didn't. Bree nodded anyway and watched as Pepper ordered FRIDAY to unlock the door, only to slip out seconds after. Then minutes. Then ten minutes. Then twenty. A sinking feeling, Bree slipped after her. It shouldn't have been this long. Something had to have gone wrong. She took the stairs instead of the elevator, racing up to the common area. Reasonably, the explosion sounded a few floors above them. If the attacker thought the Avengers were home, that would be the most logical place to look. She ran up a few flights to the training center, eyeing the room suspiciously. Nothing looked out of place. Bree quickly went to where they kept her polearms and gripped it tightly before going back to the stairwell. She peered out into the common area and stifled a gasp. Glass was shattered- the entire floor's windows that overlooked the city in the night. The wind was breezing gently through the room, making a few papers fly. Pressing against the wall, Bree edged her way to where she had the best view of the room. She huddled against the kitchen's island, scanning the room. Pepper was nowhere to be seen. Natasha's techniques echoed through her mind - _scan for potential threats._ Alright, then. What caused the explosion? She didn't see anything. So what had broken the window? The _bulletproof, Stark Industries_ - _made glass?_ Bree had to inch closer before she saw it. It was a round metal ball, dots of red glowing from the inside. A piece of paper was being held underneath it, the corners lifting from the wind. Bree gripped the polearm tighter and nudged the metal ball with the end of her weapon. The ball simply rolled off the paper, so she crept over to it. The curled writing made her heart drop to her toes.

 _Little Red, tucked away,_

 _Why don't you come down and play?_

 _You can't stay up there for long._

 _At least,_

 _Not with all your friends gone._

* * *

 ** _(A/N:_** _Hey, guys! Sorry it took like, a **month** , but good news! That won't happen again! Why, might you ask? 'Cause I have all the chapters except a few already written! We're getting close to the end, folks! I hope you've enjoyed the road so far. Over the past month that I've been gone I've learned a bit about writing style from editing my novel that I hope to have published and it's been interesting. But enough about me!_

 _Thanks to everyone who read, favorited, and followed! Special thanks to **FlowerChild23** , **sweet sunset rain, Demiwizard dragon girl,** and **Fandomfanatic**! Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Reviews are so appreciated and literally make my day. _

_Also, yes, Fandomfanatic, it is indeed a play on words with Red and Wolf. :P Nice catch._


	25. Missing

Rationally, she knew this was _definitely_ a trap. The note shook her to the bone. Unfortunately, the non-rational part of her brain was winning.

"No, no, no, no, no," she murmured over and over, searching the room desperately. Where could Pepper have gone? There was no sign of her anywhere. "FRIDAY, call the team." The sound of a phone call echoed through the room.

"Call failed, I'm afraid. No one is answering." The tightness in her chest curled and squeezed her heart. Something had gone horribly wrong.

"Keep trying," Bree ordered, pulling on her shoes. "Do you know where Pepper is at all?" A video popped up on the wall in front of Bree, making her jump. The video showed the windows shattering and the ball rolling in. The camera must have gotten damaged because everything was fuzzy from that point on. Pepper came on the screen moments later, investigating the sound. Bree watched in horror as she got to the balcony. A nearly-invisible and silent helicopter, cloaked by the darkness, flew up to the open window. A man jumped out and grabbed Pepper before she even could react. And then they were gone. Bree felt like collapsing, but she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Alright FRIDAY,' she said, trying to stay calm. "What's the quickest way to get to St. Ambrose's School in Connecticut?"

* * *

Steve watched helplessly as children filed into the gymnasium. It was so early in the morning that some of the boys were almost sleep-walking. He kept his eye out for a ginger-haired eight-year-old but an almost amusing amount of the kids were wearing onesies with hoods.

"See any threats?" Clint asked from the comm in his ear. He scanned the area again before reporting back with a negative. The others did as well. He sighed and walked over to where a few police officers were helping direct the children.

"Any word, Captain?" one of the guys asked and he shook his head.

"Not yet. Trust me though, this is necessary."

One of the officers shook his head in disbelief. "We were asked by Captain America and the Avengers to help them. Trust us, this is the most exciting thing we've had all year."

Steve stifled a chuckle and nodded authoritatively. "We appreciate it. We'll keep you posted." Right then, Tony yelled into his mic, making him wince.

"Ten o' clock, coming in hot!" Steve glanced up to see a flash of blue shoot out of the sky, exactly like what Sam had been hit by.

"Sam?" he asked and Sam nodded, landing next to Steve.

"Exactly like that. That's what hit me." Steve narrowed his eyes at where it came from. The school was in a suburban area, but the neighborhood was surrounded by trees and forests.

"Are all the kids evacuated?" he yelled, sprinting in the direction he had seen the blast come from.

"Let me check." There was some rustling and Wanda came onto the comms. "One teacher says two of her students are missing, but everyone else is accounted for." There were some mutters and curses before Clint spoke up.

'I'll find them." Steve nodded as he was running towards the back of the school.

"For now, let's split up into our groups," Cap said. "Vision, Sam, Rhodes, you guys watch from the sky. Watch out for whatever the blue blasts are. Natasha, Bucky, Tony, you guys come with me. I'm heading to the back of the school, where the blasts came from. Bruce and Wanda, keep the gymnasium sealed off. No one gets to these kids." In all the commotion, none of the Avengers noticed the static starting to come over the comms or FRIDAY's very faint voice.

* * *

Clint hurried over to where Bruce and Wanda were guarding the entrance to the gymnasium.

"Did you get the names of the missing students?" Both shook their heads, Bruce looking incredibly nervous.

"Are we sure we want me this close to children on a mission?" Clint looked at him with a small nod of his head.

"You've got this. I'm gonna go get those names and find the twerps, then I'll be back." He swung the doors open, expecting the noise to be overwhelming. Instead, he found a bunch of kids sacked out asleep on the floors. He carefully stepped around the sleeping bodies before he saw a teacher flagging him down.

"They're tired," she said with an apologetic smile. "They don't have any clue what's going on except the Avengers are here. Frankly, the teachers don't know anything other than that either." Clint forced himself to give a casual smile and nodded.

"Sorry, we really can't tell you much else right now." She waved her hand in dismissal.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. We're just happy you all are handling whatever the situation."

"Right." After an awkward silence, Clint cleared his throat. "Do you have the names of the two missing students?" She nodded and gestured over to another teacher who was wringing his hands and pacing.

"They're from his group. He's worried sick, claiming that they were with him on the walk over here but disappeared somewhere along the way. THeir names are Felix Johannes and Benton Chasky." Clint's heart sank. Of _course,_ Benton Chasky would be one of the two. This complicated everything. He thanked her and carefully made his way back through the piles of kids and out through the doors into the pitch-black night.

"Guys, we've got a slight problem," he announced, sensing the rest of his teammates were listening. "Benton Chasky is one of the two kids missing." He picked up his pace into the main building. "The teacher claims they were with him on the walk over to the gym but disappeared."

"Alright," Steve said with his 'in-control' voice. "Trying to find them just took a new priority. Rhodes, go check with Clint and split up the school. There could be others after him and the other kid." _If they don't already have him,_ was what he didn't add but everyone was thinking it. Clint slipped through the halls of the main building, scanning each of the halls. Finally, he saw a sliver of movement from one of the classrooms. He cautiously opened / the door, bow at ready at the first sign of a threat. When the door closed he put both hands on his weapon, scanning the room. The movement flickered again and he relaxed, slipping the bow back over his shoulder.

"Hey kid," he said softly. Large eyes stared back at him from under the teacher's desk. Unless Bree looked _nothing_ like her little brother, this boy had to be Felix. His black hair was in a disarray from sleep and tanned skin was a sharp contrast to Bree's bright ginger hair and pale skin. "My name's Hawkeye, okay? You know who I am?" The kid nodded and he sighed in relief- that made things a lot easier. He knelt down to the kid's eye level. "What's your name?"

"Felix," the boy answered, voice shaking. Clint stepped closer and thankfully, the kid didn't back away.

"Well Felix, there's some bad people here at the school, so I need to get you to safety. Why were you hiding under the desk?" Clint asked.

"We were in the bathroom when the alarm went off. At first, they said it was a shelter in-place alarm, which means we're supposed to lock ourselves in the classroom and hide under our desks. But then the teachers started bringing classes out and I couldn't find mine. So I've been hiding in here." Clint breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't necessarily have Benton Chasky.

"Do you know where your friend is? Benton?" Felix nodded, pointing out the door, saying,

"He stayed in the bathroom. Benny was scared and didn't want to come out." Clint nodded and took a step towards Felix.

"Alright, buddy. Can you come out of there? We need to find Benny and make sure he's safe too before I take you to your teacher." Felix nodded and scrambled out from the desk, grabbing Clint's hand tightly. They walked out and Clint tried to tell him teammates but the comms were picking up some serious static. Felix directed him to the bathroom and he cautiously poked his head in. One of the doors at the very end was locked.

"Benton Chasky?" Clint asked before taking a step further. There was scuffling and he could see blue Avenger shoes poking out from under the door to the stall and a big eye stared at him through the keyhole. "My name's Clint. I've got Felix here too. I'm going to get you guys to your teacher, alright?" The eye disappeared for a second before the door swung open to reveal a _very_ tiny child. Clint had to suppress a smile. It made sense- if Bree was four foot _**eleven**_ and she was sixteen, the eight year old would probably be quite small. Benton's curly red hair was all messed up like he had been sleeping and he was in his pajamas (and tennis shoes). Benton grabbed Felix's hand without another word and they exited the bathroom.

"It's Hawkeye, Benny! Isn't that so cool?" Felix gushed as they walked out of the main building. Benton just shook his head and Felix leaned it towards Clint. "He doesn't talk much. Kinda quiet." Clint smiled and shook his head. He should bring Bree and Benton out to his farm one day to meet Laura and the kids.

"Benton, I know your sister. Did she tell you that?" That got his attention. The kid nodded his head as Felix's eyes grew wider.

"Really? You never told me that!" Clint had to laugh a little as they entered the gymnasium. He quickly handed the two off to their teacher and Felix made him promise that the two boys could come meet the Avengers sometime. He stepped out, brushing off his hands.

"I've got the two kids back safely," he said, heading over to Bruce and Wanda, before yelling it over the static in the comms.

Sam landed beside Clint and asked, "Should we contact Bree? Tell her what's going on?" The static picked up and Clint could barely make out Tony's response.

"No can do. FRIDAY's been having trouble working. I can barely get a full sentence out of her before everything goes haywire. It's like there's a strong EMF blocker around here." Clint's heart sunk- he had an uneasy feeling about this.

* * *

 _ **(A/N:** We are starting to near the end of Red! Don't worry, there is still quite a bit of story to go. :P _

_Special thanks to **FlowerChild23** and **nightmarehunter676** for reviewing! ^-^_


	26. Trapped

The train had a distorted vibe to it as it rattled on. The sun wasn't anywhere close to coming up. Something about being alone on a train this late made Bree shudder. It was strange. Her polearms poked her back from where she had stashed them under her cloak (she suspected it was Tony who had stolen all her coats). There was nobody in her car that she could see until a boy stumbled into the car at the next stop and nearly ran straight into her booth.

"Oof!" he grunted, steadying himself. "Hey, wait a minute. I know you!' Bree looked at the boy before smiling.

"And I know you! Drew, right? From the Chinese place, and then the party?" He nodded proudly before his face collapsed into confusion.

"What are you doing on a train to Connecticut this late? Aren't you part of the Avengers?" She raised an eyebrow and motioned towards him.

"I could ask you the same thing." He looked frazzled for a moment when he answered, looking down to his feet.

"Oh, well I'm headed up to a competition for school. I have a few health issues so I couldn't go with the team. But comp's today so I'm taking the early train up." Bree nodded, motioning to the seat across from her.

"You can sit here if you'd like." He did before she continued. "I'm meeting up with the rest of the Avengers in Connecticut. There were some...complications, so now I'm traveling alone." She hadn't meant to spill all of that, but something about him just seemed _so familiar._ Drew nodded in understanding before propping his head in his hands.

"What complications? Why would they leave you behind, Bree?" It took a few moments before alarm bells went off in her mind. She forced her tone to stay calm as she mimicked his position.

"How'd you know my name? I don't remember telling you, and we never released it to the public." Drew sighed in frustration and shook his head.

"I really wish you hadn't noticed that." Bree's face twisted in confusion.

"What?" Drew kept shaking his head sympathetically before pulling a small metal box-looking object from his pocket.

"Some things are better left unquestioned. You see, we had a plan, but there were some...how'd you put it? Complications? There were some complications. An anesthetic was put in your foot, _just_ small enough and discreet enough that even Stark's artificial intelligence couldn't pick it up. We were going to trigger it remotely, once your precious Avengers had gotten attached." Bree's feet had turned to stone, and not because she was scared. She watched in horror as he inched a switch up on the metal remote control. "Can't do too much now, or you'll fall asleep immediately. That would look pretty suspicious, wouldn't it?" Something in his voice….it was too familiar. The mocking sympathy. A flash of memory rattle in her brain before slipping away.

"You were the one who left me in that warehouse. After the party." He smiled sweetly before admitting,

"Guilty," with a shrug.

"Why?" she asked again, trying not to let her emotions show in her voice. She needed to stall, keep him talking so she could think.

"Tearing the Avengers apart from each other didn't work. We needed a new perspective, something better. So we figured, why not let them get attached, let them get emotionally involved before ripping you away from them?" His smile was cold, mocking.

"You couldn't have planned for them to get me. I was at ZoneTech before any of this happened. I even was in high school before that." His smile grew wider like he knew something amusing that she didn't.

"Oh, trust me, that was planned. ZoneTech was just one of the fronts we had. Remember Justin Walters? He was one of us. Specifically handpicked you to come work at ZoneTech. Who do you think sent the anonymous tip about ZoneTech to the authorities anyway? The only ones who really know what's going on at ZoneTech are the ones who work at ZoneTech." The pieces were slowly starting to come together. Bree closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening.

"How'd you know about me anyway? I was just another kid in high school that happened to be moderately good at science." His grin was practically reaching his ears when she asked that question.

"Ah, now you're asking the important questions. Remember your dear old boyfriend that you left, Colin? And how he disappeared after you left? He was another scout for us."

"No," she said.

"Yep," Drew responded with another shrug. "You showed up on our scans from the moment you entered schooling. There's some weird energy reading- I'm sure Stark's picked up on it at some point. We've been monitoring you, Brielle Chasky. And now's the time to take you in." Her blood turned to ice as he brought the switch on the remote control higher and her legs lost feeling. If she yelled, he would be able to overpower her in seconds. There was no one else in the entire car this late either.

"I thought you said you could activate it from long distance," Bree said, desperately trying to stall. She was running out of options. Luckily, he seemed to like revealing how much he knew.

"It was supposed to. We were planning on it tonight anyway. You were _supposed_ to be with the Avengers, protecting your brother. Who we've got, by the way. He's at a facility where you'll probably never see him again unless you behave." She bit her lip. _Give no emotions away._ "We were going to activate it while you were fighting, distract all of them with the children before grabbing you. But we had to improvise when they left you and Potts behind. The distance stopped working, stopped picking up on the signals. So I was sent in." Bree watched him helplessly. She couldn't escape or run- up to her hips there was absolutely no feeling. She couldn't yell or act out- they had her little brother. "The rhyme was a nice touch, don't you think? It wasn't my idea though. It was...hmm, I believe you knew him as Matthew Lewis? His idea. Oh, he's on our side too, by the way." Bree's throat felt like it was closing up. Was there no one that she knew she could trust? First Colin, then Matt, then Justin, now Drew.

"I-..." Her mind was reeling. She was out of ways to stall, and he knew it, given the smile across his lips.

"Out of options? That's what I thought. Just sit and enjoy the ride." A man came by to check tickets and she forced a smile to her lips when Drew sent her a look. They had her little brother. She couldn't contact the Avengers. She was beaten. Once the man left Drew leaned in. "If you don't mind, I'm going to turn on the anesthetic much higher. Can't have you know where we're getting off, right?" Bree watched in horror as he turned it up nearly to the top, a wave of dizziness washing over her. Sleep covered his mind. She vaguely could feel him hoist her up an hour later and apologize to the person helping them off.

"She's just tired, we're alright. Thank you, sir." That was the last thing she heard before it overcame her completely.

* * *

 _ **REALLY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ!**_

 _ **(A/N:** I'll put the important thing first. **So we are getting close to the end!** (At least I am, but I'm writing about 5 chapters ahead. :) **I have a few options here.**_

 _ **1) Write a Red sequel.** Now, this might not make sense until the last chapter, but the end of this story will probably require at least some explanation._

 ** _2) Write Red-one shots sequel._** _Not wanting an entire Red sequel? That's fine. That's why there's this option. Just one-shots that will be explaining the...er, cliffhanger ending :P (#spoilers ;P)_

 _ **3) Expand the Colorverse.** Allow me to explain. For a long time I have thought about doing a **Colorverse** (ya know, since this is Red? Get it?) So the next one I have planned if I'm proceeding with this route is a Steve/OC story with a character already in this story for a bit. *grins* It would include how the cliffhanger ending gets accomplished and the following events. :)_

 ** _4) None._** _Let the story rest, my goodness._

 ** _SO what do you guys think? I'll be copying and pasting this author's note until the verryyyy end, so please please, if you read this story, please vote in the comments and reviews! Or just PM me, if you'd prefer._** _If "none" is chosen, that's completely fine. I'm trying to gather thoughts since this was my first fanfiction I've actually finished. :P_

 _I will also be working on my will-be-published novel at the same time as any of these options, so updates will be...even more sporadic than they already are. ;D_

 _Special thanks to: **Phoenixfromthefire, FlowerChild23, sweet sunset rain,**_ _and **BitterSweet256** for reviewing!_


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